Goose eggs are available for 12 days of Christmas

Goose eggs will make a surprise appearance on breakfast tables this Christmas after the birds started laying unusually early, probably due to the mild weather, according to Waitrose.

For the first time, Waitrose is selling goose eggs in December rather than in springtime when geese typically start laying.

Free-range eggs from a flock of geese on a Cornish farm that started laying eggs in late November will go into a limited number of Waitrose stores.

Waitrose egg buyer, Frances Westerman, said: "The rarity of seeing geese laying before Christmas means their eggs are a special treat at this time of year. This is the first time our farmer has seen geese laying eggs at this time of year. He thinks it's down to the mild weather."

Demand for speciality eggs from the supermarket's customers is growing. Goose egg sales were up 49% this year compared to the same period of 2010. Earlier this year Waitrose became the first UK supermarket to stock turkey eggs and the eggs of rheas which are large flightless birds that look like an ostrich.

The Clarence Court Goose Eggs sourced from their farm in West Cornwall, are priced at £6.99 per egg.

Source: Waitrose

• If you enjoyed this article, you may also like this: Brits are eating more speciality poultry, says Tesco