REPORTAGE
Homemade bread was one of the main fads of the French confined. After more than a month of confinement linked to the coronavirus crisis, yeast is among the most popular products and demand is growing as fast as homemade kneading attracts converts.
"I came into the store, and in front of me, a storefront full of this fresh yeast," says Chantal, from Strasbourg, at the microphone of Europe 1. "In general, I want to make my own bread, my buns, my pizza dough, "she says. For home-made enthusiasts, like her, containment is a boon. "Right now I have time, so I cook with my children."
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At the factory, "we are in 7/7, 24/24"
As a result of this craze, the demand for yeast is going up and you have to be able to meet it. "We are in seven days a week, 24 hours a day throughout the factory," says Lionel Joly, owner of the Fala factory in Strasbourg, the only French fresh yeast factory in France.
"Our famous little 42g cubes for the housewife have seen the market explode," he adds, referring to requests from supermarkets multiplied by three, four, even five.
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Bakeries, neglected
The French discovered the talents of bakers and another consequence of this, the production of large format yeast intended for the industry and catering collapsed. A decrease of 40% is noted. Bakers, the real ones, also suffer from this craze. Abandoned by customers, bakeries have experienced a 25% drop in their production.
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