As I have mentioned before, I'm a big fan of King Arthur flour -- and their other products. I support them when I can, and I have long paid premium prices for ingredients.
But I think that I may have hit my cut-off price.
Over the past two weeks, the price of King Arthur flour at my local grocery store has increased from the already ridiculously high $3.09 for a five pound bag, to the unimaginably high $4.49 a bag.
I recognise that transport costs are out of sight at the moment, and that buying northern flour in the south is going to be pricey. I realise that wheat prices are going through the roof globally, and that that is certainly going to have an impact.
But when the next most expensive flour is about $3 a bag, and there are other brands available at well under that, it makes it hard to justify the premium.
Yours, mad at having to change brands,
N.
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2 comments:
Dear BreadBox: I'm sincerely sorry you feel you need to start buying another brand of flour. Our prices have risen, for sure - the cost of wheat has gone up 400% since last year, and we just couldn't absorb all of that expense. You'll see other brands of flour raising their prices shortly, too, if you haven't already. It's a tough time for all of us. (I'm actually paying $5.39 for a 5# bag at my supermarket now.) Still - I know what's in the bag is absolutely going to work the way it always has; we will NOT buy cheap wheat, because cheap wheat means inconsistent flour, flour that doesn't work well. If you like, take a look at my blog on flour prices, here: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2008/02/18/when-times-are-tough-stick-with-the-best-king-arthur-flour/
Anyway, here's how I look at it: with fish at $5+ a pound, most meat the same, tomatoes $2.99/lb., cheese $3.50/lb. and up... on and on and on, flour at around $1/lb. is still a good buy–especially considering all the really tasty stuff I make with it!
Anyway, keep baking! And enjoy - hopefully, with King Arthur Flour- P.J. Hamel, one of 168 employee-owners, King Arthur Flour, Norwich, Vermont.
PJ, I do understand the economics of flour at the moment (and I am sure that there are aspects of the pricing that I see that reflect grocery stores inflicting standard percentage markups on flour, and hence, to some extent, engaging in something which is akin to price gouging: making additional profits because the price has risen).
At the moment, unfortunately, that extra $1.50 a bag is hard to justify: and the shock value of the 50% increase over the past week or two, and the 300% increase over the past year (which I recognize reflects a huge increase in the base price of wheat -- I've been following Paul Krugman's recent discussions on this topic, for example): unfortunately, the shock value is enough to make me hit the cut-off price. For now at least.
I've been, and hope to be in the future, a dedicated customer of King Arthur (I've got a yeast order that'll go in in a few weeks, and I'll probably find some other good tools to buy in the same shipment) and I really appreciate the fact that you take the time to read blogs that mention your product: and to respond (gently, even when the posts are critical).
I'll take a look at your blog.
N.
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