Traditional sweets All Saints’ Day They cannot avoid inflation. Olive oil, sugar, eggs, flour, butter… Basic confectionery products have reached maximum levels in recent months, forcing ovens to adapt their pace.

“If we don’t raise prices, we’ll go bankrupt,” he humbly notes to Independent Ana Guerrero, part of the family of El Horno de San Onofre (Calle de San Onofre 3), one of the cult bakeries among the residents of Madrid.

The star of Todos los Santos in the capital are the wind buñuelos, the prices of which, along with the bones of saints and panels, have risen over the past year: “We were very smart when it came to adjusting, but that didn’t happen. there’s another one because we have to be profitable,” Guerrero explains.

At San Onofre, the fritters, “fried in extra virgin olive oil and filled with natural ingredients such as free-range eggs, Grand Cru chocolate and real cream – no hydrogenated fats –” sell for €44 a kilo. “A tray for 3-4 people costs 11 euros. A year ago, pancakes cost 41.5 euros/kg. This is a noticeable increase, but for us it was stronger,” says Guerrero.

Extra virgin olive oil is non-negotiable for houses such as El Horno de San Onofre, Antigua Pastelería Del Pozo (Calle del Pozo 8), La Mallorquina (in various parts of Madrid) and La Duquesita (Calle de Fernando VI 2). this diary; However, this is the most visible case of food inflation: according to the INE (National Institute of Statistics), “liquid gold” has increased in price by 91% over the past two years.

The second food item that has risen in price the most since September 2021 is sugar, which is now 59% more expensive than on the above-mentioned date. Sugar prices recorded their highest prices in five years in February 2023, when the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recorded its second consecutive monthly increase and the highest level since 2016 due to fears of a global contraction. inventories due to decline in China, India and Thailand.

“We raised prices on everything. For coffee, for Neapolitans, for croissants, as well as for pancakes and the bones of saints. After all, the amount of raw materials we use daily is increasing and there is no other choice,” they explain. in La Mallorquina de la Glorieta de Quevedo. La Mallorquina fritters at 36 euros/kg are 2 euros/kg higher than a year ago.

The figure for the increase of 2 euros/kilogram is similar to what Antigua Pastelería Del Pozo told its customers: “Replacement of olive oil is not possible and we have absorbed part of the inflation,” they tell this newspaper from the oven. founded in 1830.

“We must take these measures to continue to survive while this so-called crisis lasts. We artisans are in a very bad situation because we are using essential products for sweets, the cost of which has skyrocketed. We had to raise prices to protect our flagship,” explains Guerrero. , which emphasizes that they are supporting part of the rise “with the aim of overcoming this trend and so that we can soon reap the fruits of these efforts.”

La Duquesita, with windblown buñuelos priced at €39 a kilo, raised prices only “slightly” and included saint’s bones and a wide range of panels “which are very popular” in flavors such as orange, coffee, orange blossom, pistachio, raspberry , chocolate for 58 euros/kg.

As the famous Pechey explained, the commercial obligation is not to pass all inflation on to the consumer: “The population will not be able to bear any greater increase in our prices and will turn to industrial products.”