If you are a frequent visitor to local bakeries, have you noticed that some cakes and pastries have increased in price? You are not imagining things! Indeed one of baked products' core ingredients (dairy such as butter and cheese) is lacking in supply (and unfavourable currency exchange) hence the price hike, even more so as we enter the holiday season.
PS: Imported Wheat has also rocketed in price!
Not only do we use butter for baking croissants, we use it as aΒ tasty spread for bread toast and cooking delicious Butter Chicken Rice and Creamy Pastas.. What about milk on its own? Can you ever imagine not being able to have your usual latte or cappuccinoβ¦. (No comment please, Americano and soy drinkers!)
Malaysia inflation rate:
Source: https://tradingeconomics.com/malaysia/inflation-cpi
No cows are harmed in the process of milking! The current situation is not favourable post-pandemic coupled with oncoming inflation, plus the unsettled on-going war between Russia and Ukraine, have really caused disruption in all areas of businesses, livelihoods and supply. Malaysia is affected by the rising inflation in these three major categories: Food, Housing and Transport.
It is expected that the price of dairy products from June 2022 will spillover to small kopitiam as well. (Teh C also naik harga!) Even more so that store-bought milk is mostly imported from New Zealand. As a bakery ourselves, our suppliers have also increased their prices, affecting our cost of production. To be able to sustain, we have little to no choice, but to revise our prices to maintain our products' quality and taste.
Businesses were forced to make price adjustments in January when the cost of dairy products increased twice last year, in April and November, coupled with increases in other overhead costs like employee salaries, rent, electricity and gas.
- Cheah Poo Kuang, President of Petaling Jaya Coffeeshop Association via FMT
We pride ourselves not only on producing products with no preservatives or artificial flavourings, but also using quality ingredients to ensure great tasting and affordable baked products to feed our customers. Rest assured that our products still serve and maintain the best quality taste, as well as we are Halal-certified by JAKIM to ensure that all Malaysians can enjoy our baked goods.
Price of milk (whole fat) even exceeds price of petrol:
We really do hope that the stormy weather passes by soon without impacting our business too much, we as a local bakery also want to maintain our employeesβ livelihoods. We appreciate their hard work in baking fresh daily, improving and creating new products and would like to continue employing them. Tedboy has not gone through any retrenchment process (thank goodness!), as we are adamant to keep all our employees and continue to grow. Help us keep our circle of employees and families secured by supporting Tedboy each time you need a quick caffeine and bread fix!
Source and extra reading:
- https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/05/the-price-of-butter-is-sky-high-and-not-going-to-come-down.html
- https://www.foodandwine.com/news/butter-shortage-stockpile-2022#:~:text=The%20price%20of%20butter%20was,largest%20annual%20increase%20since%201979.
- https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/butter-price-increase-labor-supply-shortage-holiday-season
- https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2022/06/21/soaring-butter-prices-put-dairy-market-under-pressure-report-finds
- https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/cost-of-living/price-milk-now-more-expensive-25055666
- https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2022/03/30/price-hike-in-dairy-products-could-see-spillover-at-kopitiams/
- https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2021/12/22/spike-in-food-and-fuel-prices-drives-increase-in-cpi/
- https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2022/07/29/price-surges-are-insane-should-we-change-the-menu/