Credit: TikTok
To combat rising egg prices, families are opting to paint something different this Easter – potatoes.
As “egg-flation” continues in supermarkets across the country, shoppers have found a creative way to enjoy seasonal cheer at a fraction of the cost.
Videos instructing viewers how best to make usually rough potato skins glimmer with Easter-themed patterns and colours are trending on social media.
Waitrose’s most expensive eggs – six of Clarence Court’s very large Burford Browns – will set shoppers back £4.50, or 75p an egg. Alternatively, a 2.5kg bag of potatoes costs just £1.80, which works out at 72p per kilo.
Painting tips
Top tips for creating your very own Picasso potato include washing the skin and covering it in a white primer paint to help the final design stand out.
Children can then use paintbrushes to add some colour and pattern to the “egg”.
Other social media users opted to dunk their spuds in coloured dye, while some cut the raw potato open and painted on it to make festive stamps on paper.
The enforced move away from eggs comes as prices for the festive staple continue to soar all over the world.
In the US, the unprecedented price hike is being driven by the H5N1 bird flu epidemic, which has ravaged America’s cattle and poultry farms.
More than 166 million commercial birds have had to be culled over the past three years, causing many consumers to become outraged over the increased prices.
In the UK, farmers say much of the cost hike is also down to bird flu, which is wiping out the numbers of laying hens and causing a shortage of supply.
Currently, the whole of England is classed as an “avian influenza prevention zone” – meaning farms must take mandatory enhanced biosecurity measures – although the war in Ukraine and inflation are also thought to be playing a part.
Last year, Britons consumed 13.6 billion eggs – which is roughly 200 per person – but recent studies show their price has increased by almost 20 per cent since January.
It is therefore no surprise the affordable potato is being turned to this Easter.
They require no boiling or set-up to begin crafting and, unlike eggs which will smash, can survive a drop or fall from the table.
Children make the potatoes smooth by picking off the rough edges – Jan Nevidal
One user said the price of eggs was so high she was going to have to hide eggs from her children in the garden so well that they couldn’t find them, and she could bring them back into the kitchen to cook.
“Who said bunnies lay eggs anyway?” she said. “What kind of maths was that?”
Rhiannon Evans, the head of communications at Mumsnet, said: “Mumsnet users are divided when it comes to Easter decorations.
“For every parent who embraces a springtime flourish, there’s another who resents the Insta-pressure to turn their home into a pastel wonderland.
“But the perennial Mumsnet advice applies – do whatever works for you, your family and your budget.”
Alex Godfrey, the chair of GB Potatoes, said: “Potatoes are an incredibly versatile foodstuff and it’s great to see the imaginative uses to which they can be put.
“Whether it’s painting potatoes, potato printing or eating your favourite potato dish, life is more fun with potatoes in it.”
