Valda's last firing • In 4 active carts right now • Only 238 left
Valda's Ceramic Egg Holder
Valda's Ceramic Egg Holder
Dispatched within 1–2 business days
90-day money-back guarantee
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Valda's Ceramic Egg Holder
Shaped & painted by hand near Kyneton, Victoria · the last firing
Six eggs. Six seats. No more soggy cartons on the bench.
238 trays from the October firing · no restock“For over forty years Darryl put the eggs in old cartons on my bench. So I made him something nicer.”
For 37 years Valda Hosking ran a little ceramics shop in Kyneton, Victoria. Then her husband Darryl brought the eggs in from the chook pen in his old work hat every morning and put them in old, soggy cartons on her bench. So she opened the old kiln in the shed and made him a tray with a seat for every egg. This spring the arthritis in her hands and her shoulder made the decision for her: the October firing was the last one.
— From The Craftsman’s Review
What arrives at your door
- One hand-made ceramic egg holder for six eggs, in the design you choose
- Wrapped by hand in paper at the farmhouse kitchen table
- Valda’s 90-day money-back guarantee
The eggs are not included. Darryl says his chooks are not for sale.
The four designs
Duck Egg Blue
The first one Valda made. Pale blue with white daisies, little red dots and a red line around the rim. Twisted handles at both ends.
Musk Pink
A warm, dusty rose with white daisies and a deeper red rim, the colour of musk sticks, Darryl’s favourite lolly. Twisted handles at both ends.
Sunflower Yellow
Buttery yellow with white daisies, little red dots and a red rim, for the sunflowers Darryl grows along the chook-pen fence every summer. Twisted handles at both ends.
Strawberry Patch
White, modelled by Valda on an old strawberry dish from her shop. Raised strawberries, leaves, vines and little flowers around the edge. No handles.
Every tray is shaped and painted by hand, so no two are exactly alike. The daisies land in different places, and on the daisy trays one handle may twist a little tighter than the other.
Why it works better than a carton or a basket
Cups, not dents
Each cup is deep enough that the egg sits in it, not on top of it. Knock the bench and nothing rolls.
One egg per seat
No eggs lying on top of each other and cracking at the bottom, like in a wire basket.
Real ceramic, fired twice
Shaped by hand from real clay, fired, painted, glazed and fired again. Solid and heavy enough to stay put.
Handles you can grab
On the blue, pink and yellow trays: two coils of clay twisted like barley sugar. Carry a full tray from the bench to the stove or the table.
See what’s left at a glance
Six eggs, six seats. One look tells you whether you need to go to the shops or the chook pen.
Pretty enough to leave out
No soggy cardboard on the bench. It looks like it belongs in your kitchen, because it was made for one.
How to use it
- On the bench: set your eggs in point up, straight from the chook pen or the shop.
- In the fridge: slide the whole tray onto a shelf. The eggs stay put and you can see how many you have.
- Before baking: take out the eggs your recipe needs and set them in the tray while the oven heats. By the time the butter is soft, they are at room temperature.
- At the table: serve boiled eggs at breakfast, dyed eggs at Easter, or fill the cups with olives, cherry tomatoes, spices or little dips.
A carton vs. Valda’s tray
| Cardboard carton or wire basket | Valda’s egg holder | |
|---|---|---|
| Eggs roll? | In a bowl or basket, yes | No, each egg has its own cup |
| Cracked eggs | Bottom eggs take the weight | No egg rests on another |
| On the bench | Soft, stained cardboard | Glazed ceramic, painted by hand |
| How many left? | Open the lid and count | See it at a glance |
| Lasts | Until it goes in the bin | For years, with care |
Made by hand in the Macedon Ranges
Valda opened Valda’s Ceramic Corner on Mollison Street in Kyneton in 1979 and taught women from every town between Woodend and Castlemaine how to hold a brush on Wednesday and Friday nights. When she closed the shop in 2016, her tools and the kiln went into the shed behind the house.
In the spring of 2024, after one soggy carton too many, she shaped a new tray by hand at her kitchen table and fired the old kiln again. Every tray since has been shaped, painted and fired by her. Her granddaughter Tayla runs the little online shop and drops the boxes at the post office.
This spring her hands told her it was time to stop. The kiln is promised to the art room at the secondary college. What came out of the last firing is all there is.
Valda Hosking
Near Kyneton, Victoria
What a baker says
“Every sponge and every pav I teach starts with ‘eggs at room temperature’, and half my students skip it because they forget. Cold eggs make the butter seize and the whites won’t whip up properly. A tray like this on the bench is the easiest fix I know. You set the eggs out when you turn the oven on, and you never think about it again.”
— Bernadette Lowe, baking teacher, Woodend, VIC
Perfect for
Questions people ask at the front gate
Do jumbo eggs fit?
Standard and large eggs sit well. Very big jumbo eggs sit a little higher in the cup but still stand.
Does it fit in the fridge?
It fits on a normal fridge shelf. The daisy trays are 19.5 cm long including the handles, shorter than a dozen-egg carton.
Is every tray the same?
No. Every tray is shaped and painted by hand. The shape is the same, the daisies and the handles are a little different every time.
Can I use it for anything else?
Yes. People use them for spices, olives, cherry tomatoes, lollies, little dips, rings and earrings on the dresser.
Will there be more after these?
No. The October firing was the last one. When these 238 are gone, there won’t be any more.
Valda’s promise
“If your eggs don’t sit right in it, or you just don’t love it, send it back. I’d rather you have your money than a tray you don’t like.”
Every order comes with a 90-day money-back guarantee. No questions asked. Every tray is wrapped by hand and is dispatched within 1 to 2 business days.
Care & use
- Rinse in warm, soapy water and let it dry.
- Treat it like any good ceramic dish: a hard knock on stone or tile can chip it.
- Small differences in the painting and glaze are part of hand-made work, not a flaw.
Product details
| Holds | 6 eggs (2 rows of 3) |
| Material | Glazed ceramic, fired twice |
| Size, daisy trays | approx. 19.5 × 10.2 × 3 cm incl. handles |
| Size, Strawberry Patch | approx. 21 × 14 × 4.5 cm |
| Designs | Duck Egg Blue, Musk Pink, Sunflower Yellow, Strawberry Patch |
| Made | Shaped and painted by hand near Kyneton, Victoria |
| Shipping | Dispatched within 1–2 business days |
| Guarantee | 90-day money-back guarantee |
The Final Series
The Final Series
A message from Valda:
For 37 years I ran a little ceramics shop on Mollison Street in Kyneton, and two springs ago I opened up the old kiln in our shed one more time, because I was tired of the soggy egg cartons Darryl kept stacking on my bench. Every one of these trays was shaped, painted and fired twice with my own two hands. Those hands are 76 now, and the arthritis and my right shoulder have made the decision for me. The kiln goes to the secondary college. These 238 trays from the October firing are the last I will ever make.
The special price runs until 30 November 2026. After that, Tayla keeps sending them out until the very last tray is gone.
When they’re gone, they’re gone.
Free Shipping
Free Shipping
Free shipping across Australia
- Dispatched within 1–2 business days
- Insured: every parcel is fully insured
- Wrapped by hand in paper at the farmhouse kitchen table so the ceramic arrives safely
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Tayla personally replies to every single email – as fast as she possibly can. Whether you have a question about your order or just want to say hi to Valda, we're here.
You can reach us:
- Mon – Fri: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (AEDT)
- Saturday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM (AEDT)
Email: info@backroad-goods.com
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Of course. We stand behind everything in our shop 100%. If the egg holder doesn't win you over, just drop us an email within 90 days and we'll make it right – no hassle, no headaches.