Just when it seemed the only respite from the bad weather was curling up in front of the fire with a mug of hot chocolate, there is more bad news.
The price of hot chocolate is to soar after the wholesale cost of cocoa powder jumped by 32 per cent over the last year.
The rise has been blamed on failing crops earlier in the year and disruption from suppliers in Ivory Coast, whose traders suffered following a chaotic general election earlier. Specualtors have been adding to the problem by stocking up.
Cocoa powder as risen to £3,000 a ton a much bigger rise than cocoa butter which is used to make chocolate bars.
The figures were disclosed by commodities analyst Mintec for The Grocer magazine.
'The price of chocolate drinks is coming under pressure and cocoa powder and sugar become more expensive on the world markets," a spokesman for Mintec.
'Over the past few months the price of cocoa powder has been steadily increasing and sugar prices have followed suit propelling the price of chocolate raw materials to record levels.'
It added: 'As chocolate consumption is increasing faster than production, prices for raw materials might not ease quickly.'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/8215194/Price-of-hot-chocolate-to-soar.html
