The eggs in the major supermarkets continue to fluctuate, with 5p or 10p being added here and there, and even occasional lines being offered at discount on loyalty cards.
None of this benefits the producer, and in most cases, price received is still less than cost of production (over £1/dozen for FR).
Compare the UK supermarket prices for 12 x Large Free Range, about £2.20-£2.30, with those found in German supermarkets (see 4, item F) at £3.35 and you can see what a good deal UK consumers are getting, but at whose expense?
The UK consumer is also faced with a confusing range of lines and sizes. At one time or another, over the course of a month, we found the following number of different eggs on offer:-
Aldi 11, Lidl 5, Waitrose 20, Asda 19, Morrisons 12, Tesco 24, Sainsbury 27.
Some say a wide choice is a good thing, but is this not overdoing it in some cases?
Perhaps consumers should choose on the egg’s protein content:-
Small 5.2g protein, Medium 6.4g, Large 7.5g and Very Large 8.7g. When looking at the protein content/100g egg, they all come out the same – 12.6g.
“Laid in Britain” customers are not faced with this bewildering array.
Since they buy direct, their choice is the producer themself.
The producer, of course, can set their price above the cost of production, but at a fair and attractive price for the client.
The transaction benefits further from the low mileage involved, and the freshness of the eggs, since they have not travelled huge distances between various intermediaries and warehouses.
