THE Bishop of Portsmouth is urging chocolate lovers to buy Easter eggs that tell the story of Jesus.

Bishop Christopher with two of the Real Easter Eggs

THE Bishop of Portsmouth is urging chocolate lovers to buy Easter eggs that tell the story of Jesus.

A national, church-backed campaign has convinced supermarkets to stock The Real Easter Egg. It’s the first chocolate egg that explains the Easter story on the box, and the UK’s first Fairtrade Easter egg.

Morrisons, Waitrose, the Co-op and Booths are stocking a limited ‘trial listing’ of the Real Easter Egg and selling it in their biggest stores.

This represents a turn-around in attitudes as retailers originally said they wouldn’t stock the egg in 2011. The company behind the Easter egg was planning to rely on direct sales to churches, schools and Fairtrade campaigners, and had already received 70,000 orders.

Bishop Christopher said: “It is great news that for the first time people will have the chance of buying an Easter egg from a shop that explains the significance of the festival on the box.

“Through the charitable donation and its Fairtrade chocolate, the egg brings to light the Easter themes of hope and new life. I believe there will be widespread support for the product from the faith community with many others likely to be interested.”

Churches across the Portsmouth diocese have already ordered boxes of Easter eggs direct from the manufacturers. Worshippers at St George’s Church in Portsea, have asked for 252 eggs, and will give one to each child who attends St George’s C of E Primary School nearby.

At St Peter’s Church, Petersfield, the curate, the Rev Dominic Clarke, and the Reader, Mike Moore, challenged the congregation to order eggs to give to their friends and family. It prompted an order for 118 eggs.

“We asked people to pledge to buy an egg for the church to use as a free giveaway to children who might not normally receive much,” said Dominic. “I hope to have several to give away at the local infant school and SureStart project.”

Worshippers at St Mark’s Church, Wootton Bridge, on the Isle of Wight, have already ordered 48 eggs. Fairtrade campaigners at Botley, Curdridge and Durley will receive 60 of them,

The Friends of St Mary’s in Fratton have ordered 60 eggs to give out on Palm Sunday (April 17) to children and young people associated with the parish, and Christ Church, Portsdown, in Widley, will have 24 on their Fairtrade stall.

Despite selling over 80 million Easter eggs a year, supermarkets initially turned down The Real Easter Egg. It prompted a campaign to prove the demand was there, which began last September.

The overwhelming number of orders from schools and churches prompted the manufacturer to increase production to meet demand. The Manchester-based Meaningful Chocolate Company, who developed the egg and ran the campaign, believe it is the UK’s biggest selling direct mail order Easter egg.

The retail price of the Real Easter Egg is £3.99. Two charities benefit from the sale of the egg. Traidcraft Exchange receives 30p from every egg sold and Baby Lifeline – which helps to supply hospitals with lifesaving equipment for mothers and newborn babies – will receive 10 per cent from its net profits.

As demand is likely to outstrip supply, Google Maps is providing the ‘Virtual Real Easter Egg hunter’ which allows people to hunt for an independent shop or church in their area where they can buy an egg. See  www.realeasteregg.co.uk for details.