How energy price crisis is putting the squeeze on French bakers
Not long ago, artisan bakers were doing well in France's villages, towns and city centres as Covid restrictions encouraged people to shop local. But that has all now changed with the cost of living crisis, as the rising price of energy and raw ingredients has put their finances under pressure. And with households also feeling the pinch from the cost of living squeeze, France's bakers say they cannot keep on putting up prices indefinitely in order to make ends meet. Mathias Thépot reports.
HitHit hard by rising energy costs, France's artisan bakers are openly declaring that they will not survive the winter. It is a highly emotive issue; these bakeries that bake their own bread on the premises are by far the most common local shops in France, with 34,000 points of sale in the country employing around 180,000 people.
