Is it REALLY worth splashing out £4 on half a dozen eggs? As Clarence Court orange yolks are ‘debunked’ – can you really taste the difference between premium and budget brands?

Scramble them, fry them, boil them or whisk them up into a omelette – there are countless things you can do with eggs, in ways everyone can enjoy.

But regardless of whether you take yours over-easy or sunny side up, supermarket shelves are increasingly catering to people who want even more from the staple ingredient, with prices hiking up in exchange for promises of yummier yolks, happier hens or more bougie shell colouring.

However, for better or worse – can you actually taste the difference?

Recently, one influencer slammed Burford Browns eggs – six of which cost around £3.20, but can go up to as much as £4.20 – are not worth paying more as he believes he has revealed the secret behind their much-loved dark yolks.

Sunna Van Kampen, known as @tonichealth on TikTok, posted a video onto his social media pages saying people should not pay premium prices for the variant, from Clarence Court.

He said their ‘overpriced’ eggs – which are sold in numerous shops including Tesco, Sainsburys and Waitrose – had dark orange yolks because the chickens were fed with marigold and paprika.

Some believe a darker yolk makes eggs healthier for human consumption.

But fans of the produce hit back at his claims, saying that Burford Brown eggs are worth the higher price because they are tastier.

In the footage, which was posted to his 683,000 followers, Mr Van Kampen can be seen carrying out his attack on the premium egg producer whilst holding a six-pack Clarence Court carton in a Waitrose supermarket.

He says: ‘The reason why your yolks are so dark and orange when you pay money for a Burford Brown and an overpriced egg is because they feed it marigold and paprika, which turns the yolk bright orange.

‘That’s how they can guarantee that sure when you have a chicken that’s in pastures and eats natural diets, it tends to be a darker yolk anyway. 

‘But these guys have commercialised that opportunity with paprika, which is why they are charging you £4.20 for large eggs. That’s wild!’

He then picks up a green box of Waitrose-own brand organic eggs and says: ‘You can just come here and get organic eggs, which have organic feed and it’s only £2.95 for six.

FEMAIL decided to put the yolks to the test with a round-up of supermarket offerings – and see if we can tell the difference with a classic breakfast meal.

Boiling five eggs from different brands – including a budget option – for five minutes to ensure a runny but respectable yolk, we endeavoured to see how easy it is to pick out the quality with dippy eggs and soldiers.

The answer is – not at all.

While it was clear to see what eggs were trying to push a premium yolk narrative with their opulent orange centres, it was still not intuitive when it came to the overall presentation and flavour.

The sizes of the yolks were also surprising. While there is bound to be natural variation, we expected that a heftier price tag demanded a larger percentage of vitellus. 

However, the biggest circumferences came from our budget and middle-range options.

Here, we ranked our taste test in order from best to worst… 

BEST: ST. EWE, RICH YOLK (£2.50 for 6, Ocado) 

By far, the winner of the experiment was the St. Ewe Rich Yolk carton. It may be of little surprise, given that the range claims to focus on ensuring the soft gooey centre is optimised.

‘St. Ewe Rich Yolk eggs, with their deep orange yolks, are the ultimate choice for foodies and chefs,’ the website says.

‘These acclaimed free-range eggs deliver exceptional taste, colour, and impact, making every dish – from breakfast to pasta – a culinary masterpiece. Developed by chefs, they’re perfect for those who enjoy really good food.’

They are reportedly ‘sourced from British family farmers who share our commitment to high standards’, with the packet promising ‘high welfare’ free range eggs. 

Despite cynicism on my part – as some who is not a natural yolk enjoyer – I was won over by the smooth and slightly sweet, with the perfect hit of tang. It was soft and delicious and I’d happily repurchase these again.

I also found myself feeling that despite me thinking I’m above it, the darker yolk did feel like an elevated experience – and added quite a bit more to the presentation that I suspected it might. 

THE HAPPY EGG CO. (£2.15 for 6, Tesco)

I was surprised to find out I enjoyed these eggs as much as I did, given that it didn’t flaunt itself as a particular yolk aficionado.

Rather, the company focuses more on promising customers responsible sourcing of free-range eggs, writing: ‘The happiness of our girls [hens] always comes first.

‘We work closely alongside our farmers to continually raise the standards when it comes to keeping our girls happy, safe and well cared for.’

The yolks tasted smooth, creamy and were subtle in flavour, making for a  lovely start to the day. 

TESCO FREE FRANGE EGGS (£1.65 for 6, Tesco) 

These eggs are usually the ones I go for when I do my weekly shop – so it’s perhaps no surprise that they made the top three.

It didn’t blow my socks off, but nor was it offensive in any way. The texture was absolutely fine and the flavour a slight sweet tang that we all know and love when it comes to yolky eggs.

While it wasn’t fantastic – especially compared to the two above – it was certainly a fine option to serve up at breakfast, and won’t break the bank.

CLARENCE COURT, BURFORD BROWNS, £3.20

This was by far the most gorgeously presented egg, with its huge marigold yolk beaming up like a jewel.

However, this was also perhaps its downfall as when I made my tip in with toast, I expected an experience as premium as it looked, only to be met with relative blandness.

It didn’t taste bad at all, but I found that it brought very little to the table. 

On their website, Clarence Court confirm that their birds are fed paprika and marigold as part of a ‘maize enriched diet’, which also includes wheat, sunflower, seashell and soya.  

Burford Brown eggs are produced by hens of the same name and are known for their heavy quality, thick dark shells.

For decades, British shoppers have preferred these brown eggs to their white counterparts in the mistaken belief they are a healthier option.

But in 2020, farmers urged consumers to make a switch to reduce animal cruelty.

While there is no nutritional difference between the two types of egg, the farming of brown ones requires hens to have their beaks trimmed with an infrared laser beam, which is said to be painful.

‘If consumers were to eat white eggs then it would help with animal welfare and give farmers the confidence to farm hens which have not had the infrared treatment,’ said Robert Gooch of The British Free Range Egg Producers Association.

Variation in egg colour depends on the breed that lays them. Broadly speaking white-feathered hens lay white eggs and brown-feathered hens lay brown ones, although the colour of the earlobe is a more reliable indicator.

Dark-earlobed breeds that produce brown eggs, such as the Lohmann brown, are typically more aggressive, so have their beaks blunted when they are day-old chicks to stop them pecking each other as adults. They have been known to peck each other to death to establish their hierarchy and are even prone to cannibalism.

Mr Gooch said white eggs used to be the norm in Britain but shoppers switched to brown in the 1970s under the misconception that they are more ‘rustic’ or ‘natural’.

WORST: HARESFIELD FARM (£3.40 for 6, The Organic Delivery)

I was shocked to find out that my least favoured selection was the most expensive one in our bunch.

When I made my dip into the yolk and sampled it, I assumed it may be the budget offering because I tasted nothing at all. 

However, these eggs are beloved by many and are sold in premium supermarkets like Whole Foods, for the farm’s fuss-free approach.

‘We believe that our eggs should be good for you, good for our hens, and good for the land,’ the website states.

‘At the heart of this philosophy is the welfare of our hens. We keep our hens happy and healthy by keeping them in smaller flocks, fed on a healthy dietfree from GM, chemical or hormone additives and with plenty of access to the outdoors.’