How far will the price hike go?

Lovers of king cakes may have noticed an increase in prices in bakeries and pastry shops. This increase is mainly explained by the surge in the price of raw materialsnotably that of butterwhich remains the key ingredient.

A historic surge in the price of butter

The price of butter reached record highs in 2024, going from 5,500 to more than 8,000 euros per tonan increase of approximately 40% in one year. This ingredient represents almost half the weight of a frangipane pancake, which necessarily impacts artisan bakers. “Butter is the basis of our recipes and good lamination. When its price rises, everything follows,” confides a Dijon baker.

Butter is not the only one to see its price blaze. Eggs, essential for making pancakes, have also seen their cost increase, going from 10 euros to 14 euros for 100 units in the space of a few months. This increase is part of a global context where raw materials now represent 26 to 28% of bakers’ turnover, compared to 23% two years ago.

Prices vary depending on the point of sale

Despite these increases, professionals strive to limit the impact on consumers: “Artisans prefer reduce their margins rather than passing on the entire increase,” explains Paul Boivin, general director of the Federation of Bakery and Pastry Companies (FEB) to AFP.

In Dijon, the prices of six-piece pancakes vary considerably depending on the addresses in the city center. According to our observations, an average pancake for 5 to 6 people costs from 14 euros to 28 euros. In supermarkets, a cake can cost between 4 and 12 euros for the same size. For a large pancake (6-8 parts), count the forty euros.

“Be careful what’s in your cake”

A Dijon pastry chef, wishing to remain anonymous, provides his analysis of the price disparity: “If a cake is sold at very low pricethere is no mystery. This necessarily means that there are concessions on the ingredients. For example, for 2.5 to 3 kg of dough, you must add 1 kg of butter approximately… So some can use industrial margarines instead of butter or preparations ready to use for frangipane, which contain little or no almonds. In these cases, it is no longer really a traditional pancake. Such differences reflect the quality ingredients and know-how artisanal. »

It is also necessary to add to the prices of the ingredients that of the bean, of both crowns a you packaging.

According to him, it is essential to pay attention to the quality : “Consumers must understand that the price often reflects what they have on their plate. An artisanal pancake, made with real ingredients like PDO butter and quality almonds, will necessarily cost more expensive. But it’s also what makes all the difference in the mouth. And then some do not hesitate to inflate pricesvoluntarily…”

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