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M&S ‘Original Gelatine’ Percy Pigs listed on eBay for £1,000

A bag of Marks and Spencer "original gelatine" Percy Pigs has been listed on eBay for £1,000.

The ebay listing labels the sweets as “super rare” due to the decision by creators Marks & Spencer to make all Percy Pigs vegetarian by removing animal products from the recipe.

The packet, which contains the “classic” pork gelatine version of the pig-shaped treats, is described as “brand-new, unused, unopened and undamaged.”

The winning bidder can expect to receive their prize between May 13 - 14, after paying £2.90 postage and packaging.

Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid discussing Percy Pigs on Good Morning Britain (ITV / Good Morning Britain)
Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid discussing Percy Pigs on Good Morning Britain (ITV / Good Morning Britain)

It came as M&S revealed plans to form a ‘Percy Pig Panel’ to decide on the future of the sweet.

The retailer announced on Thursday it would be forming a special panel to vote on whether a “special edition, classic Percy pack with the gelatine back in” should be made available to customers.

M&S released a press release saying it would be recruiting “100 mega fans” to form the ‘Percy Pig Panel’, which will convene on May 16 at a ‘Percy Pig party’ to cast their votes.

“Percy’s mega fans are being asked to pitch for their place on the panel by sharing why they love Percy on the M&S Facebook page or M&S Twitter page where the video from Percy can be viewed #PercyPigPanel,” wrote the group’s press team.

“The Percy Pig Panel of 100 mega fans will convene on 16th May at a Percy Pig party to vote for whether they want to introduce a special edition, classic pack of Percy Pigs with the gelatine back in. The results will be announced after the event.

“This would be a special edition, classic Percy pack with the gelatine in and would sit alongside all of our other veggie friendly gelatine free Percy pigs.”

M&S has faced harsh criticism from shoppers over its decision to make Percy Pigs vegetarian, with some saying the new version “tastes like washing up liquid”.

In 2011, M&S introduced a vegetarian version – 'Veggie Percy' – so “even more people could enjoy them”
In 2011, M&S introduced a vegetarian version – 'Veggie Percy' – so “even more people could enjoy them”

The high street chain defended the move by insisting that after “a lot of hard work (and tasting)” they had “finally perfected a 100 per cent vegetarian Percy”.

They said they had spent more than four years working on the gelatine-free recipe and had consulted more than 250 customers during its development.

However, the group admitted on Twitter that their decision “REALLY got people talking”, adding that they “want to listen”.

Customers have shown their support for the new panel with tongue-in-cheek social media posts.

“I am willing to put myself forward to evaluate the "tastiness" of these confections over a series of rigorous (probably) scientific tests,” tweeted one fan.

While another wrote: “The classic Percy Pig is truly unbeatable! Chewy, fruity, incredibly satisfying; why on earth would you banish him from the shelves?! Surely vegan Percy and the classic that we know and love can live in harmony on the @marksandspencer shelves?! Get me on that #PercyPigPanel.”