France Is Running Out Of Butter, RIP Croissants
When you think about France, you think about croissants, it’s as simple as that. But that might not be the case for much longer: the country is suffering from a butter shortage.
Butter makes up at least 25 per cent of croissants, meaning they can’t exist without it. You can also say goodbye to brioche, cake, and countless other pastries and baked goods, for that matter.
Due to the shortage, the cost of butter has reportedly risen by a whipping 92 per cent in the past year alone. Speaking to The Guardian, Fabien Castanier of the federation of French biscuit and cake-makers (yes, that’s a real thing), lamented the industry’s “unsustainable pressure.” He also warned that “it’s going to get worse. There’s a real risk of butter running out.”
While the potential loss of croissants might sound like a joke, the reason is very real, and very worrying. The shortage and its resultant price hike is mostly due to a milk shortage across Europe, leading to huge cost increases throughout the continent. France has been hit particularly hard, and given French bakers mostly use French milk for cheese, cream and butter, the shortage is especially damaging.
