When will the price of the baguette be between €1.5 and €2?

The rise in the price of bread has already been a reality for several months but, obviously, we are not at the end of our surprises. According to INSEE, a year ago, the baguette was worth around 0.90 euros. A month ago, in August, we were between 94 and 95 cents (we are not talking about the “tradition” baguette which is already above the euro). But as for the classic baguette, bakers warn us: expect to pay up to €1.50.

According to the National Confederation of French Bakery-Pastry, if energy prices were to be multiplied by two or three, the artisan baker would be obliged to increase his prices by up to 15% to continue to live and pay his expenses. . A five-fold increase in energy tariffs would increase the price of the baguette by 30%. This applies to artisan bakers who have a weaker financial base than manufacturers and whose manufacturing costs weigh much more heavily on profit margins. That said, in the long term, even manufacturers will be forced to increase their prices.

Bakers are caught between the soaring cost of gas and electricity (to heat the ovens) and the inflation of raw materials (in this case flour – processed wheat – which is used to make bread) . The war in Ukraine is often put forward to explain this rise in prices, but other factors come into play, including the revaluation of wages. A necessity to attract the workforce that is lacking in this sector as in many others. The payroll for a baker today in France represents more than 50% of his turnover. You read correctly: the cost of labor is half the manufacturing cost (and therefore the price) of a wand.