Big breakfast: Families shelling out £19 for super-sized Ostrich eggs

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Updated:


It's the ultimate no-fuss breakfast for families looking for the easy way out this Easter -  a giant Ostrich egg that feeds 15 hungry adults.

But people wanting to eat them in their shell will need to be patient - the giant eggs take an hour and a half to boil.

And at £18.99 each, the eggs don't come cheap.

Eggs-tra large: One Ostrich egg is 24 times bigger than a normal hen's egg

Eggs-tra large: One Ostrich egg is 24 times bigger than a normal hen's egg

The super-sized eggs, one of which is equivalent to 24 hen's eggs, are going on sale at Waitrose from next week following a 573 per cent jump in sales between 2008 and 2009.

Waitrose said there was a growing appetite for its range of unusual eggs, including duck, quail and pheasant and goose - sales of which soared by 101 per cent last year.

The eggs are laid by South African Black Ostriches and come from the Clarence Court farms in Cornwall.

Eggs are laid four to five hours before dusk to protect them from the heat of the sun, replicating behaviour in the wild.

Soft boiling one of the eggs takes approximately 50 minutes, while they need to be cooked for 90 minutes to get a hard-boiled consistency.

Diners are advised that a simple tap of a spoon is unlikely to break the shell - a roasting spike or a domestic drill is more suitable.

Waitrose will sell the Ostrich eggs at 31 stores this Easter

Waitrose will sell the Ostrich eggs at 31 stores this Easter

Waitrose egg buyer, Frances Westerman, said: 'Britons have proved they are game enough to try something other than the humble hen egg. 

'Customers have been seeking out something a bit different and the Ostrich egg is a real trump card when it comes to cooking over the long weekend.

'What better way to surprise guests this Easter Sunday than boiling one egg for all your guests’ breakfasts?'

High-profile restaurants includiing Scott's, Maze and Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley have all offered unusual eggs on their menus.


 

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