Cadbury 99 Flake shortage UK: why ice cream sellers face shortage - and where 99 gets its name from

This shortage comes as Britain is set to see temperatures of up to 32℃ by Friday
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A Cadbury’s Flake shortage is threatening to ruin a summer rush for 99 ice creams.

The chocolate firm has reported supply chain issues affecting stocks of the traditional ice cream accessory, after moving most of its production of flakes to a factory near Cairo, Egypt.

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This shortage comes as Britain is set to see temperatures of up to 32℃ by Friday.

Why is there a shortage of Cadbury’s Flakes?

Lawrence Glauser, the owner of Lorenzo’s Ices, said Cadbury, based in Birmingham, moving Flake production to the Middle East, didn’t help.

He told the BBC: “Since Cadbury moved production of Flakes to the Middle East, it’s been a nightmare getting hold of them.”

A Modelez spokesperson 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.

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“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”.

The Ice Cream Alliance said: ‘There is, once again, a shortage of the Flake product.

“This is disappointing to our members and their customers as the Flake product is synonymous with the whippy ice cream known as the Flake 99 and enjoyed throughout the UK, especially during the summer months.

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“The ICA hopes that the supply issue is resolved as soon as possible to benefit both our members, the ice cream industry and their customers.”

Abby Beech, who runs Abbey’s Ice Cream in Hessle, East Yorkshire, said her supplier has limited her to buying 10 boxes at once.

She told the BBC: “There are 144 [Flakes] in a box. It sounds a lot but if you go to a large event you could easily use eight or nine boxes.”

Why are 99 Flakes called that?

It used to be thought that the chocolates are called 99 Flakes when they topped soft-serve cones, sold for only 99p.

However, Cadbury suggested it takes its name from a period where things considered elite by Italians were referred to as 99s because the King of Italy had an elite bodyguard unit of 99 men.

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