In Lyon, corks face the shortage of mustard
The shortage of mustard poses a serious problem for restaurateurs in Lyon.
Threat to the andouillette. It is becoming more and more difficult, if not impossible, to find a jar of mustard in the supermarket. A shortage that also affects catering professionals, including Lyonnais corks, for whom the condiment is nevertheless essential.
A rare commodity
In the kitchens of the restaurant Le Petit Bouchon de la Place, in Lyon, no less than 10 kilos of mustard per week are needed to make the sauce for the house’s flagship dish, sausage. Due to the current shortage, it is now the only dish served with this condiment. And if the commodity continues to be so rare, the recipe could well be changed.
“We make our fries in house. We used to offer ketchup, mayo and mustard sauces and now we only offer ketchup and mayo. The little mustard we managed to get and get supplied, we really save it especially for the andouillette and its mustard sauce because otherwise, we will not last the season. We are thinking of changing the sauce for the andouillette, it is getting so complicated”, explains to BFM Lyon Rebecca Guyon, restaurateur .
“We brief all the staff so that we are very careful with the mustard and the economy as much as possible”, says David Tapiero, restaurateur. The latter also has trouble understanding why the condiment is missing. “I saw that in Monaco there was a lot of mustard. Why is there some in Monaco and not in France? Why are the shelves full in Monaco and not in France? he.
In recent months, the price of mustard has increased by more than 9%, according to an IRI study. In question, a poor seed harvest in Canada, the world’s leading producer of this condiment. Hit by a heat dome last July, the country experienced temperatures close to 50°C.
The crops were damaged and the harvest was halved, while 80% of the seeds on the market turned out to be from Canada. Russia and Ukraine are respectively third and fourth exporting countries. But, due to the war between the two countries, exports are at a standstill.
“The fact that there is a conflict between Ukraine and Russia, with logistics problems, and the fluidity of everything that is rail or maritime infrastructure is slowing down, therefore on a supply that has become scarce”, explained Thierry Pouch, head of economic studies at the Chamber of Agriculture of France, at the microphone of BFMTV last May.
France, which produces 50% of European mustard, is also experiencing harvest difficulties, due to the 2019 ban on pesticides. The yield is lower since it is subject to hazards and in particular to insects. For now, the end of the shortage does not seem to be on the agenda.