Toulouse: will restaurateurs run out of oil?
The war in Ukraine brings sunflower oil stocks down. Without reservation, Toulouse restaurateurs are worried. Small structures and signs are the main ones supported
Fries, cakes or burgers, sunflower oil is the basis of many delicious dishes. In cooking or to incorporate directly into the recipe, many restaurants in Toulouse use the extraction of sunflower. But the recent war in Eastern Europe has disrupted stocks. Ukraine is one of the leading exporters of sunflower oil (just ahead of Russia).
The conflict blocked all deliveries, to the great barrage of restaurateurs. If some had great reservations before the start of the conflict, others are more in the process of adapting. This is the case of the restaurant “O Fait Maison”. “It’s really a hassle to find it. Every day, we go shopping, but there is more. We sometimes go there several times a day,” admits the restaurant waiter.
Small retailers are the main victims
In the supermarket shelves, the stocks are empty. For the retail brands of catering professionals, such as Métro or Promocash, rationing is planned so as not to exhaust the reserves. In his name sign, “Toulouse Burger”, Abdoulaye worries about oil reserves. He needs it especially for cooking his fries. “At the wholesale market, we are entitled to a single can or a few liters per person per day. Everything is limited, we don’t know when it will stop. The price is also increasing, it’s a problem, ”says the Toulouse restaurateur.
The most supported are in particular the small brands. For large franchises, chefs can rely on the support of large suppliers who still have plenty of stock. The restaurant “Au Bureau” on the outskirts of the Pink City, is lucky to be able to take advantage of group purchases.
A long-term shortage?
“Fortunately, we have solid suppliers who make it difficult to supply us without,” admits the manager of the brewery. Don’t worry, this is also the case for McDonald’s restaurants in the center of Toulouse. Michel Réglat, franchisee of several fast-food restaurants, admits that his oils are “from the central region of France”. Thus, its restaurants will have the chance to restock more easily.
What worries restaurateurs dependent on Eastern European sunflower oil is above all the duration of the war and the next failed harvests. This is the case of “L’Entrecôte” in the rue de Jean Jaurès. Based in the hypercentre, the brand serves no less than 800 meals in one day. And on the plate, fries are part of the menu. But since the decline in sunflower oil stocks, the teams of “L’Entrecôte” are worried about the cooking of their fries. “A large part of European demand comes from Ukraine. If the harvest, scheduled for April, does not materialize, there will be a huge shortage next November”, explains Thomas de Roaldes, general manager of “L’Entrecôte”.