JKD Posted December 21, 2024 Report Share Posted December 21, 2024 Been to my usual 'local' bakers this morning, to get a loaf of bread [Danish] and some cakes [love a nice cake with my coffee 😁]. Now, there usual fayre is quite reasonably priced seeing as the quality is A1, but their Xmas stuff is extortionately overpriced ! 😲 Chocolate yule log,,,, £14 Xmas fruit cake with marzipan and icing, very small [3 bites] piece,,,, £2+ I stopped looking at that point !!! There's a rectangular Xmas cake, which the small 'pieces' are from, a round Xmas cake, mince pies, and a couple of other things. I will name them, Ayres, in Blackfen,,,, it's a long time existing family bakers with three shops [which at least one member will know of]. I've used them for many years and you can't knock the quality, but these prices will be putting many people off buying them surely ?! I don't normally moan about this sort of thing, and I know ingredients costs and overheads have gone up, but come on !? Anyone else know of similar ? 🤷♂️ Anyone got any positive experiences ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted December 21, 2024 Report Share Posted December 21, 2024 (edited) Hello, Local bakers are ok if you have one or a Market Stall as we have in Town but my favourite cake at the mo is Lidl Carrot for £2,25 which i will buy tomorrow as my Birthday cake🤔👍😄 Edited December 21, 2024 by oldypigeonpopper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted December 21, 2024 Report Share Posted December 21, 2024 serves you right for living in the south east. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKD Posted December 21, 2024 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2024 16 minutes ago, old'un said: serves you right for living in the south east. Hahaha 😆 I can assure you, their Xmas stuff prices have nothing to do with being in the south east 😅 🤣 They are definitely taking the proverbial P ! 🙄 All their normal stuff is great and not way overpriced,,,, in fact, for the quality, very well priced 👍 Amateur will be along soon to comment, I hope. 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted December 21, 2024 Report Share Posted December 21, 2024 Just now, JKD said: Hahaha 😆 I can assure you, their Xmas stuff prices have nothing to do with being in the south east 😅 🤣 They are definitely taking the proverbial P ! 🙄 All their normal stuff is great and not way overpriced,,,, in fact, for the quality, very well priced 👍 Amateur will be along soon to comment, I hope. 😉 Has Aldi or Lidl not reached the south east yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clangerman Posted December 21, 2024 Report Share Posted December 21, 2024 stores are robbing us every day gave up biscs and cake long ago as price ruins the taste Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKD Posted December 21, 2024 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2024 Just now, old'un said: Has Aldi or Lidl not reached the south east yet? Never heard of them 🤔 😆🤣 ps. They are opening up everywhere ! 🙄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted December 21, 2024 Report Share Posted December 21, 2024 Blackfen Ayres are just up the road from me. Many years ago, I did some work for a major bakery group, looking at their costings and costing methods and what came out (amongst other findings) was that birthday cakes, Christmas cakes and decorated cakes were almost impossible to make at an economic cost to sell at a price that the market would bear, so they were all produced as loss-leaders. Similarly, their dedicated bread, pastry and cake shops all made much less profit than those with a cafe attached. The group soon sold off their shops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKD Posted December 21, 2024 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2024 48 minutes ago, amateur said: Blackfen Ayres are just up the road from me. Many years ago, I did some work for a major bakery group, looking at their costings and costing methods and what came out (amongst other findings) was that birthday cakes, Christmas cakes and decorated cakes were almost impossible to make at an economic cost to sell at a price that the market would bear, so they were all produced as loss-leaders. Similarly, their dedicated bread, pastry and cake shops all made much less profit than those with a cafe attached. The group soon sold off their shops. Thought you'd know the shop 😉 Do you ever use them ? You talk about loss-leaders,,,, Ayres Xmas stuff definitely isn't that ! I do usually treat myself to something from their Xmas range, ignoring the price, but this year ? No way ! Now I know they are a small business with three shops and they have to make decent profits, but the prices for these things was/is extortionate to the extreme ! I saw them and nearly said a naughty word out loud 🤭😆 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted December 21, 2024 Report Share Posted December 21, 2024 When we literally lived around the corner, nearly 50 years ago, we would always buy our bread there. Nowadays, I bake my own in the Panasonic. The comment about loss-leaders referred to the national bakery that I was reporting on. Ayres obviously charge according to the costs, which are high with fancy cakes. If you look at what a patisserie charges in France, you will see that it is the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKD Posted January 5 Author Report Share Posted January 5 I think this post needs resurrecting with a big positive 😃 I went back to said bakers yesterday to purchase my usual loaf of bread, and they were selling their Xmas stuff at reduced prices. So I thought, why not buy a big chunk of their Xmas cake, reduced from £13.75 to £6,,,, not bad 😃 It was also labelled up with the new price and another label with "HALF PRICE" on it. Sleepy staff charged me half price at the £6 price 😆 So got it for £3 !!! 🥳 😃 They were still selling small pieces of it for £2+ 😂 Coffee and CAKE anyone ?! Petty I know, but hey,,,, HAPPY NEW YEAR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 5 Report Share Posted January 5 I thought you were so honest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKD Posted January 5 Author Report Share Posted January 5 20 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said: I thought you were so honest. I was/am ! I gave them the £3 they asked for Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 5 Report Share Posted January 5 This time next year we'll be millionaires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKD Posted January 5 Author Report Share Posted January 5 Just now, TIGHTCHOKE said: This time next year we'll be millionaires. And be in possession of LOTS of cake ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKD Posted January 5 Author Report Share Posted January 5 Just for reference 🤓 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 5 Report Share Posted January 5 1 minute ago, JKD said: Just for reference 🤓 More like evidence for your defence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKD Posted January 5 Author Report Share Posted January 5 2 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said: More like evidence for your defence. Yus m'lud 🫡 H'im an 'onest man I is guv, troofully I is ! 😆 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted January 5 Report Share Posted January 5 I just couldn't had come out of a little shop that make very little profit knowing I had just bought a piece of Christmas cake in the following year it was made at half of half price ( alright I know it was 25% ) , when I had realised what they had done I would had gone straight back in and .................. bought another piece at the same money , how could I do such a thing , dead easy , at least it save them sticking what they can't sell it in the bin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKD Posted January 5 Author Report Share Posted January 5 8 minutes ago, marsh man said: I just couldn't had come out of a little shop that make very little profit knowing I had just bought a piece of Christmas cake in the following year it was made at half of half price ( alright I know it was 25% ) , when I had realised what they had done I would had gone straight back in and .................. bought another piece at the same money , how could I do such a thing , dead easy , at least it save them sticking what they can't sell it in the bin Exactly MM And this ain't no 'little shop' ! They have about 8 women serving in this particular shop on a Saturday, they are that busy, and that expensive !!! I'm sure they noticed their mistake quite quickly and can easily afford the £3 hit they gifted me 😃 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted January 5 Report Share Posted January 5 Well done JKD. Yes, I'm sure that Ayres could afford the £3 discount. It is a fact, though, that fruit cake, being hand-made in small quantities by craft bakers, is very costly, but as MM wrote, any money that they make after Christmas is better than binning it. As fruit cake keeps very well in a sealed tin, perhaps you should stock up now for this Christmas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKD Posted January 5 Author Report Share Posted January 5 4 minutes ago, amateur said: Well done JKD. Yes, I'm sure that Ayres could afford the £3 discount. It is a fact, though, that fruit cake, being hand-made in small quantities by craft bakers, is very costly, but as MM wrote, any money that they make after Christmas is better than binning it. As fruit cake keeps very well in a sealed tin, perhaps you should stock up now for this Christmas? 🫡 What I could do is,,,, go back tomorrow and buy all their cheap remaining Xmas stuff and sell it on for a profit a la Del Boy Now,,,, ANYBODY WANNA BUY SOME CAKE ? ONLY A TENNER EACH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted January 5 Report Share Posted January 5 You outrageous capitalist! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKD Posted January 5 Author Report Share Posted January 5 Just now, amateur said: You outrageous capitalist! You can find me down Peckham market every other day, know what I mean, know what I mean !? 👍🥳🤣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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