The rise in egg prices has become a pressing concern for bakers in the region, with adjustments being made to accommodate these changes. Soraia Santos, granddaughter of the renowned baker Brilhanta, highlighted the ongoing weekly increases. She noted, “Two weeks ago, I paid 2.05 euros for a dozen, this week it’s 2.10 euros, and I’ve already been informed that it will increase to 2.20 euros next week.”
In response to this escalation, Santos decided to raise the price of folares by approximately 25 cents this month. “Currently, we are selling the folar at 3.50 euros with an egg and 3.25 euros for the half-kilogram cake (without egg),” she specified.
Santos intends to maintain these prices until Easter, due to commitments with companies already placing orders for folares to gift to their employees.
Ana Amador, another baker, has retained her current pricing but announced plans to increase prices starting April 1, attributed to the rising cost of eggs. “It’s usual for egg prices to increase around this time of year, but this year, it surged 25 cents in just a week,” she remarked.
Amador, who used over 18,000 eggs during the Easter period last year, communicated with her supplier to ensure a steady supply of eggs, who assured her there would be no shortages.
Contrastingly, baker Maria de Lurdes raised her prices at the beginning of the year and has no intention of further hikes to avoid impacting sales. “We can’t increase any more. It’s becoming very difficult because people are buying much less than in previous years,” she said, operating at two marketplaces in Aveiro.
Currently, several bakers in Vale de Ílhavo bake folares year-round, but orders reach unprecedented volumes in the week leading up to Easter, straining their capacity to meet demands.
This weekend, the Festival of Bread in Vale de Ílhavo is in full swing, showcasing the artisanal secrets of making padas, folares, and broa. The event is being held in a tent at Jardim Henriqueta Maia, Ílhavo, where bakers will sell bread and folar from 2:30 PM until supplies run out.
On Sunday morning, there will be an interpretative tour in Vale de Ílhavo to explore the tangible and intangible heritage of the area, recently included in the “Aldeias de Portugal” network.
Years ago, nearly all families in Vale de Ílhavo engaged in bread production. Now, about ten bakers remain, continuing the traditions taught by their mothers and grandmothers, although some now only bake on Saturdays.
