Edmonton restaurants forced to adapt to high food prices amid global supply chain disruption
Some Edmonton-area restaurants are feeling the effects the COVID-19 pandemic is having on the global supply chain.
As food prices rise, some restaurateurs are forced to pass those increases onto consumers.
"It affects us the same way it affects people at the grocery store," Chartier sous-chef Travis Golbeck told CTV News Edmonton. "We are seeing an increase in prices and we are seeing a decline in the availability of products."
The sous-chef for the Beaumont, Alta., French restaurant said over the last three years, the cost of flour has jumped 40 per cent and butter 12 per cent. The price of buckwheat has quadrupled in price this week alone.
"We use canola oil in our fryers, that’s a wonderful, beautiful Alberta product," he said. "Six months ago we were paying $33 for 20 litres and now we’re paying $55 for 20 litres in six months."
Over at Simply Supper, a frozen meal business in Edmonton, you'll find a similar story.
"Sometimes they send the price increases to me and I think they’re joking," owner Monita Chapman said. "It’s so unprecedented and so extreme that you just honestly don’t even believe it but it is true."
Chapman told CTV News Edmonton prices are the highest she's seen in 15 years.
"The supply chain just seems so disrupted that we can’t get our hands on the product that we need," she said. "It’s going up in some cases by $10 or $15 dollars for a case of something."
One expert says transportation costs, weather events and global staffing shortages are to blame.
"We are going to see some of that cost being carried on to us as consumers," said Heather Thomson from the Alberta School of Business.
Raising prices was something Chapman said she didn’t want to do, but felt she had no choice.
"For a family of four you’re going to see about $1 to $1.50 increase on our meals."
Meanwhile, Chartier has taken a slightly different approach by developing a new menu.
"Be really creative in the ingredients that we’re using and to use simple ingredients but to change them in beautiful wonderful ways to make the food elevated to make it something you couldn’t get at home," said Golbeck.
Thomson said consumers can expect the trend of high commodity prices to continue for some time.
"I think this is something we’re going to be looking for well into the holiday season and into 2022."
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Amanda Anderson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Millions of cyberattacks per hour as B.C. government investigates multiple breaches
Careful attention to government statements and legislation is required to get a handle on the level of risk British Columbians’ information is under, as investigators probe multiple breaches under a continued barrage of attacks.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Debate on abortion rights erupts on Parliament Hill, Poilievre vows he won't legislate
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
New 'Lord of the Rings' film coming in 2026
The Oscar-winning team behind the nearly US$6 billion blockbuster 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' trilogies is reuniting to produce two new films.