Animal rights organisation Peta has urged Preston Council to swap eggs for potatoes at its traditional Easter Monday celebration in Avenham Park, scheduled for April 6.
The charity is pressing the local authority to "modernise" the long-running event, which traces its origins to the 19th century, over welfare concerns linked to hen's egg and milk chocolate production.
Jennifer White from Peta argued rolling potatoes instead would deliver "all of the fun and the tradition, but just without the animal cruelty".
The council has pushed back against the suggestion, stating that the event does not dictate what participants must roll down the slopes.
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"Visitors have the choice as to what they roll down the hill," a spokesman confirmed.
Ms White contended that Easter celebrations should not endorse practices she considers cruel to animals.
"We know that Easter is all about celebrating new life, and you simply can't do that when you're rolling eggs that come from an industry that sends billions of animals to their deaths while they're still babies," she said.
The Peta representative highlighted Preston's significance as host to one of Britain's longest-established egg-rolling traditions, suggesting that any shift in approach there could set a precedent for similar events across the country.
Preston Council's egg-rolling event in Avenham Park in scheduled for April 6
|PRESTON CITY COUNCIL
Beyond animal welfare, Ms White pointed to additional benefits of switching to potatoes, noting they are less expensive, more environmentally sustainable, and offer health advantages compared to eggs.
The council spokesman emphasised that egg rolling in Preston has been a fixture for more than 150 years, establishing itself as a cherished local custom that regularly draws around 30,000 visitors annually.
The free event will feature rolling sessions on the hour between 11am and 4pm, with thousands expected to gather on the park's slopes for Easter Monday festivities.
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Egg rolling in Preston has been a fixture for more than 150 years
| GETTYAccording to the council, while participants historically arrived with hard-boiled eggs, many have in recent years opted to send chocolate eggs tumbling down the hillside instead.
UK egg production operates under a code of practice established through the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which places responsibility on owners and keepers to ensure their animals' welfare needs are properly met.
Elisa Allen, Peta Vice President of Programmes, suggested that young people would be distressed to discover the origins of eggs used at the Preston event.
She said: "Children love animals and would be sad to learn that the eggs used for fun and games at Preston's egg rolling event come from tormented hens who live miserable lives on Britain's farms.
"Easter should be a time of renewal and joy for all sentient beings, and that means hens too".
The charity has mounted a similar campaign in the United States, writing to First Lady Melania Trump proposing that the White House rebrand its annual Easter Egg Roll, which dates back to 1878, as a "Make America Great Easter Potato Roll" featuring dyed spuds and "hot potato" games.
The letter read: "A White House Potato Roll would be kinder, cheaper, a boost for potato farmers, and provide a smashing good time for kids, proof that Easter fun doesn’t have to come at a hen’s expense".
Nevertheless, the White House Easter Egg Roll remains on the congressional calendar for Monday, April 6.