A Cadbury discount store in Lincolnshire has faced criticism from a Christian campaign group after advertising chocolate Easter eggs as 'gesture' eggs. The store, located in Springfields Outlet in Spalding, was offering a two-for-£10 deal on the rebranded products.
Mondelez International, which owns Cadbury, said it had 'no involvement' in the promotion, adding that it licenses the brand to Freshstores Limited, the independent operator of the store. The company confirmed that all Cadbury Easter eggs sold elsewhere carry the word 'Easter' on their packaging, often multiple times.
Tim Dieppe, head of public policy at Christian Concern, said the move was 'very odd' and accused the retailer of trying to 'erase the connection between Easter and eggs'. He suggested that people were 'overly worried about offending'. Mondelez later stated that Freshstores had agreed to remove the posters.
A BBC reporter visiting the store on Wednesday morning saw a sign advertising two Easter eggs for £10, with no mention of 'gesture' eggs. Freshstores Limited has been contacted for comment but has not yet responded.
This is not the first time Cadbury has faced controversy over omitting the word 'Easter'. In 2017, a Cadbury-sponsored National Trust Easter egg trail was renamed the Great British Egg Hunt, prompting criticism from the Church of England.
