“We try to make do, we have no choice”says Philippe Garrigue, owner of the “Chez Jean-Marie” pastry-chocolate shop in Perpignan. One of his first reflexes in the morning? An eye on the price of cocoa on the stock market. The surge in the cost of this essential raw material has a big impact on its activity. He explains: “Six months ago, we were on 7 euros excluding tax per kilo. Currently, we are around 15-16 euros per kilo excluding tax. Direct consequence: we are forced to do less production of chocolate-based cakes because in terms of profitability, it's not that at all.”
The situation is all the more delicate for Philippe Garrigue because his “flagship” product is the Black Prince, a creation of his father made from chocolate, hazelnut paste and praline. The price has not changed despite the loss of profitability: “customer happiness above all!” says the pastry chef. It's been two years since “prices are increasing wildly” he testifies. His solution? Buy products in quantity when prices are reasonable and store them. But Philippe Garrigue keeps his spirits up despite everything: “We have to prepare for the Christmas holidays!”
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