Bakers fighting to survive as egg prices and electricity bills soar

As well as gas and electricity costs rising the ingredients used are also shooting up in price. Credit: ITV

Bakers have revealed they are "worried" about the upcoming winter months as egg prices and electricity bills rise.

For ten years Agnes Storrie has baked cakes of all shapes and sizes for weddings and parties across the south of Scotland.

When Covid hit she kept her business afloat by making small deliveries to offset the lack of big events, but now the cost of living crisis is presenting a new challenge.

Agnes told ITV News Border: "It is not just the ingredients that are increasing in price, it's gas and electricity for making the cakes and petrol for delivering the cakes."

As well as dealing with bills, shortages of ingredients and supermarket restrictions are also impacting bakers.

Agnes said: "I could go through two and a half dozen eggs in a week so yeah I actually source my eggs directly from an egg farmer, which is better, I can get two and a half dozen at a time at a lower price."

Meanwhile, Kirkcudbrightshire baker Jade Ahmed has seen her business grow over the last 12 months due to online sales.

However, her costs have risen at the same time.

The volume of certain items like butter that bakers use is causing profit margins to become tighter. Credit: ITV

"250 grams of unsalted butter went from £1.49 to £2 just over night, thats a massive increase when you think of the volume we use," Jade said.

Scottish Bakers say their members are now at breaking point where they could be facing an existential threat to their survival. Their research has shown cost rises of more than 200% for electricity and gas alone.

For Jade getting through this summer is her first priority but she is still concerned about the months ahead.

She said: "There is always that niggle at the back, what about when winter comes, are we going to have those problems we had last winter, will the gas prices go back up, will I be able to get hold of ingredients again, but as a small business there's always that worry."

Neil Gray, MSP, SNP, Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy, said: "We have established the new deal for business groups which is looking at areas where we can do more to help including on regulation and business rates.

"We will continue to liaise with our colleagues across the business networks including the bakers to ensure we are doing as much as possible to help."

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