Chocolate company Cadbury's has reported a shortage of everyone's favourite ice cream topper - just as the UK gets set for a mini heatwave at the end of the week.
Low stocks of Flakes are threatening to scupper the summer rush for 99 ice creams, as the firm's owners blamed supply chain issues for the shortage.
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, according to The Sun.
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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. UK food and drink firms have also warned of potential shortages of beef, poultry, and dairy.
The Ice Cream Alliance, which is the members association for ice cream van companies, said the shortage was disappointing for its members.
A spokesperson 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. 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."
Cadbury’s Flakes are produced in Dublin, Ireland, and Cairo, Egypt. 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.
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."
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