Tesco and Sainsbury's will this year sell the Real Easter Egg, so called because it is the only Easter egg to explain the religious significance of Easter on the box.
 

The egg launched in September 2010 but started life as mail order only after supermarkets initially turned down the idea.

The likes of Booths, Co-op, Morrisons and Waitrose changed their mind just before Easter 2011. Now the biggest two have now come on-board, thanks in part to customer requests and letters from bishops to senior management.

The Real Easter Egg features an Easter story activity pack, while the Easter story is explained on the box. Under the lid, for the first time ever on an Easter egg, there is a quote from the Bible - the resurrection text from Mark. It is also Fairtrade and a percentage from each sale is donated to the Traidcraft Exchange. More than 300,000 have been sold so far.

David Marshall, from the Meaningful Chocolate Company which manufactures the Real Easter Egg, described the supermarkets' decision as 'a great breakthrough'.

Mr Marshall said, 'Our aim is to change the Easter egg market forever by making it more spiritual, more generous and more faithful. This is a great breakthrough.'
 

Mr Marshall said that store quantities vary. Tesco has the biggest supply across 450 of their largest stores. Morrisons and the Coop have quantities available in selected outlets. Sainsbury and Waitrose have only about 12 eggs in a small number of stores.

'The response from Tesco, Morrisons and the Co-op has been particularly encouraging,' Mr Marshall added.

'I am sure Sainsbury and Waitrose will also discover real demand for an egg explaining the religious understanding of Easter on the box and which supports charitable projects. I encourage shoppers to hunt out a Real Easter Egg and complain if they are not being stocked.'

For more, visit www.realeasteregg.co.uk