Chocolate company Cadbury’s has reported a shortage of 99 ice cream flakes – even before Ireland gets a decent spell of weather.
Low stocks of Flakes which are made mostly in Dublin are threatening to ruin the famous summer experience for millions.
Cadbury’s owner, US giant Mondelez says there is a global shortage of Flakes as high demand caught it off guard after after sales outstripped stock levels agreed with its customers at the start of the year.
Cadbury’s Flake is the latest food to be hit by supply issues with a shortage of sunflower oil and wheat affecting the cost of bread, pasta and breakfast cereals.
A spokesperson for Mondelez International said: “In line with what many other companies are reporting, we are experiencing some global supply chain disruptions, alongside a recent increase in demand for the product in the UK and Ireland above the levels that we agreed with our customers at the start of the year.
“This means we are experiencing some short-term stock challenges on Flake 99. We are working, and will continue to work hard, to resolve the situation, and are working closely with our direct distributive customers to manage stock allocation fairly based on initial forecasts. Mondelez International added: “Flake 99 is available for our customers to order but, for now, we are just carefully managing stock allocation fairly across all our customers.”
But where did the term 99 come from?
The term 99 ice creams is said to have been coined in 1922 by ice cream vendor Stefano Arcari, who ran a shop at 99 Portobello High Street in Edinburgh.
His family claim he would break a Flake in half and stick it in the ice cream for his customers.
