Thessaloniki: Bakers are kneading over 600,000 kg of king pie – Newsbomb – News
The traffic this year is reminiscent of 2019
More than 600,000 kilos of king pie that the bakers and confectioners of the prefecture of Thessaloniki will leaven in anticipation of the New Year, with this year’s holiday traffic reminiscent of the season of 2019 and making purchases according to their… wallet.
Speaking to APE, the president of the Bakers’ Association of the prefecture of Thessaloniki “The Prophet Ilias” Elsa Koukumeria and the head of the Confectioners’ Guild Marios Papadopoulos give this picture, expressing their satisfaction for …the return of consumers to quality and fresh products.
In terms of quantities, more than 400,000 kilograms of king pie have already been kneaded by the bakers in the 700 bakeries of the prefecture of Thessaloniki, with the price for distribution estimated at 13-18 euros/kg, up to 15% higher than last year, when it was 12-16 euros/kg, as mentioned by Mrs. Koukoumeria. An increase of up to 15% has already been recorded, according to her, in honey macaroni and kourabiedes, with their price ranging this year at 11-14 euros/kg, from 10-13 euros/kg last year and at 13-16 euros/kg, against 12-15 euros/kg in the festive season of 2021.
However, despite the price increases that the people of Thessalonica are seeing, who according to the president of “Prophetis Ilias” are flocking to the prefecture’s bakeries to buy their festive sweets with the same intensity as in 2019, “so far, we don’t have any. no complaints, no protests about the prices.” Of course, this attitude of consumers, as he hastened to add, does not mean that “they like that they buy more expensively, but they recognize that patients face the same difficulties as they do in making ends meet”. In this context, he pointed out that since March the cost of energy for a baker has increased by 150% to 180% and that of raw materials is recorded higher by 60%.
Expressing her satisfaction with the traffic recorded in the bakeries this year’s festive period, Ms. Koukoumeria noted that “it may not translate into a higher profit for us, since this is significantly offset by the increased costs, but I am happy that it is now clear for whom, in the bakeries of the prefecture, the kourabies taste kourabie and the melomakaronou .. .melomakaronou, while the king pies we make hide in them beyond the lucky flour, love and passion”.
For 2023, the goal of the bakers of the prefecture of Thessaloniki “is to remain active and standing”, as he emphasized, adding that “nationwide, 210 bakeries may have taken down rolls throughout Greece this year, of which 25 in the prefecture of Thessaloniki, mainly due to lack of ability to meet the increase in their operating costs, but fortunately our industry has suffered the least damage compared to others.”
At least 200,000 kg of king pies are estimated to be available this year by the confectioners of Thessaloniki, with a price range of 11-18 euros/kg, increased by 10% compared to last year, as the president pointed out. of the Marios Papadopoulos Confectioners Guild.
Traffic in the confectioneries of the prefecture has been strong since last week, according to Mr. Papadopoulos, who pointed out that “those who had “migrated” from the confectioneries in previous years have now returned vigorously and can buy smaller quantities, but now they are convinced that everything procured is of good quality and edible.”