Flake snag means 99 problems for ice cream sellers

The long-standing ice cream brand remains popular and Mondelez said it was working hard to restore stocks across the UK

Ice cream sellers are reporting a shortage of Cadbury Flakes to stick in cones for the second year running.

The crumbly chocolate fingers are crucial to the sweet treat combo known as a 99.

But retailers fear their scarcity sticks up fingers of the wrong kind to the British summertime.

Cadbury's parent company said it was working hard to resolve distribution issues, which one seller called a "nightmare".

Lawrence Glauser, owner of Lorenzo's Ices in Hull, said he blamed the situation on Cadbury - the Birmingham-based chocolatier - moving Flake production to the Middle East.

Abby Beech, owner of Abbey's Ice Cream in Hessle, East Yorkshire, said where she lived, cash and carries were limiting sales.

In May 2021, a surge in demand was said to have caused a UK Flake shortage.

One year on, there are fresh complaints that ice creams are looking a bit underdressed. And Ms Beech said sellers did not know when they could next get their hands on more fingers.

She explained she had been limited to 10 boxes at her supplier, saying: "There are 144 [Flakes] in a box. It sounds a lot but if you go to a large event you could easily use eight or nine boxes."

Flake - front and centre here - is proving rather more difficult to spot in person, ice cream sellers say

Why is a 99 ice cream called a 99?

The term 99 Flake is often thought to indicate the price of the ice cream it accompanies but Cadbury has said: "The real reason for 99 Flake being so called has been lost in the mists of time."

But it points to one explanation that suggests the name takes inspiration from the former Italian monarchy after a Cadbury sales manager saw some ice cream makers - originally from Italy, but working in the UK - cutting chocolate fingers in half and adding them to cones.

"In the days of the monarchy in Italy, the King had a specially chosen guard consisting of 99 men, and subsequently anything really special or first-class was known as '99' - and that is how '99' Flake came by its name," Cadbury said.

In Hull, Mr Glauser maintained: "Since Cadbury moved production of Flakes to the Middle East, it's been a nightmare getting hold of them."

A spokesperson for Mondelez International said: "In line with what many other companies are reporting, we are experiencing some global supply chain disruptions, alongside a recent increase in demand for the product in the UK and Ireland above the levels that we agreed with our customers at the start of the year.

"This means we are experiencing some short-term stock challenges on Flake 99.

"We are working, and will continue to work hard, to resolve the situation, and are working closely with our direct distributive customers to manage stock allocation fairly based on initial forecasts."