Consumers in Britain who are concerned by the struggling economy are buying less bread and stretching what they do buy further—even if that means eating stale bread. Supermarkets that have been hit by shoppers' reluctance to purchase are pressuring their suppliers for cheaper products.
This winter, British bakeries are also dealing with a poor wheat harvest caused by wet weather, following a spike in grain prices after the devastating drought in the U.S. and a heat wave in Russia.