The regular white loaf weighing 350-400 gms now costs Rs 38, up from Rs 35. The mini 200 gm loaf has been raised to Rs 20 as compared to Rs 18.
There are two varieties of large white bread, one weighing approximately 600-650 gm which earlier sold for Rs 52-55. It has now been rounded off to Rs 60. The other large loaf is the 800 gm Wibs white bread used by sandwich vendors. Its price has escalated from Rs 70 to Rs 75.
Brown bread has been left untouched in the current hike.
Salahuddin Khan, director of Kwality Confectioners and Bakers headquartered in Andheri (East), said, “The price of a 50 kg bag of maida has shot from Rs 1,500 to Rs 1,700. That works out to Rs 34 a kilo as compared to Rs 30 previously. Since maida forms 80% of our raw material, we have no option but to relay the hike to the consumer. Other raw materials too have become expensive like yeast and improver.”
Khalif Uz Zaman Khan, owner of Star Gold Bakery in Worli, expressed anguish at soaring input costs. He said, “One bag of maida is costlier by Rs 200. Sugar is more expensive, so is improver, and the packaging material we use to wrap bread. Increasing prices is always a last resort because it directly dampens sales. Households give up buying bread daily and instead make rotis at home. But inflation has pushed our backs to the wall.”
Bakers manufacture multiple items using maida, and often have to raise the rates of fast selling items like bread to cover overall losses of other products.
Meanwhile, householders and sandwich sellers are at their wits’ end. Ramesh Mhatre, owner of Lucky Sandwich in Vile Parle, said, “Earlier bread prices would rise maybe after two years. Now they increase up to twice a year. I cannot hike menu rates so often. In fact I even maintained tomato in my sandwich when it was selling for Rs 200 per kg. McDonalds took it off the menu but I did not. Truly, the sandwich business is not profitable any longer.”
