Happy Eggs..? The Egg Test.

We are reaching the end of the stock of Burford Brown eggs that we brought from London. Eggs keep very well for a couple of weeks and the flavour doesn't deteriorate significantly but thereafter there is a risk. We brought 30 eggs from London and only 6 remain. So we need more eggs. But which eggs?

In a desperate move I bought a pack of 'Large Brown Organic Free Range Local' eggs in Morrisons in Kingsbridge. They were completely undistinguished and 5 remain...

Yesterday, after delivering the wife back to the station, we tried the larger Morrisons in Totnes in the vain hope that they might stock Clarence Court eggs of any variety. But no, they do not. I couldn't see anything that I though worth buying but the young men's eyes alighted on Happy Eggs.

"At the happy egg co. we believe that happy hens lay tasty eggs."

"bah! marketing types..." I told the young men. But they insisted. With such bright and yellow packaging and with such simplistic hen cartoons I thought they had been completely suckered. But we bought a pack anyway.

Then we went to Country Cheese...They've taken over Robin Congdon's Ticklemore cheese shop extending their north Devon franchise to the South Hams. I wanted some Harbourne Blue and some Ticklemore goat (now made by Sharpham). Country Cheese specialise in English cheese and I was seduced into buying a 'heart' of Sloe Tavy on which I'll report later. This is what Country Cheese say:

"- Cheesy Pete makes this beauty exclusively for Country Cheeses. Made with goats' milk, he washes these heart shape stinkers in Plymouth Sloe Gin as they mature. Wow.

The young man's friend then notices eggs. Lots of eggs. We discuss eggs and find that there is a local flock of Maran chickens at the Greenway farm. These dark brown eggs are large and look too good to resist. I buy 18 looking forward to great structure and depth of flavour. Now we have the basis for an egg test. Happy Eggs v. Totnes Marans.

Round 1. - Packaging and exterior

Both eggs are packed in recycled cardboard. Happy Eggs is dyed bright yellow with printing on both sides. Greenway has a stuck on address label. The young men think the happy eggs win hands down..

Greenway eggs are larger and browner. Both eggs have a producer number. Happy eggs have a useby date and a Lion mark.


Round 2 - the uncooked egg

The Greenway eggs are clearly the more resilient egg. The white is much firmer and the yolk is larger, brighter and more orangey. We all agree on this.


Round 3 - Cooking

The happy egg spreads immediately and almost fills my 20cm pan... the larger Greenway egg maintains consistency and cooks from the outside towards the centre.


Round 4 - Taste and texture

The young men believe the happy egg tastes better. I am surprised...I do think the Greenway egg is better, but the happy egg yolk also tastes delicious but it's white tastes much less. The texture of the Green way egg is clearly superior with more structure to both the yolk (cooked runny) and the white. The young men don't think this matters.

Round 5 - Welfare

Both eggs claim to be free range. However the happy eggs are also provided with swings, sandpits and other toys according to their web site. The young men think this does matter.

The verdict

The young men prefer happy eggs. We'll buy more. I prefer the Marans and I already bought 18. Just goes to show though, taste is in the mouth of the taster.