Cadbury flakes now ‘too crumbly’ for 99 cones, say ice-cream sellers

By Fiona Frawley

"If you order a 99, you want a good solid flake in it."

Ice cream van drivers and sellers are complaining that Cadbury Flakes are no longer up to the job of 99 topper, since their production has been moved to Egypt. An essential part of the summer experience, a 99 only really becomes a 99 once a chocolate flake is carefully inserted on one side. The crumbly texture is something you may have previously thought would lend itself to the overall experience - little delicate flakes breaking off and spreading evenly throughout each bite - but the experts now fear it's gone a step too far. Ice cream sellers in the UK say they've been sold boxes of flakes where as many as 70 out of the 144 bars are broken before they're even opened.

“We’ve thrown away 70 in a single box before because they’ve all been broken,” ice cream van driver Katy Alston told the Guardian. “For the first time, I won’t be using Cadbury flake this year. It feels a different product. If you order a 99, you want a good solid flake in it.”

Speaking to the BBC, owner of C&M Creamery Ices John Taylor said "You can’t give someone a 99 with a broken flake. It’s embarrassing for an ice-cream man.” Cadbury has been owned by US multinational Mondelēz since 2010, and they've insisted the recipe has not been changed. In a statement shared by the Guardian, a spokesperson said:

“Cadbury flake 99 is a naturally delicate and crumbly product. We are aware that recently some customers have received a product which does not meet our usual high standards.

“This has been addressed following recent improvements to our production processes, although some prior stock may remain in circulation. We are in the process of liaising with our customers (wholesalers) to support those potentially impacted.”

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