MANUFACTURE OF CAKES

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24112, 23 November 1943, Page 6

MANUFACTURE OF CAKES

EFFECT OF BUTTER RATIONING REDUCTION IN CERTAIN LINES Although shops and tearooms in Christchurch may appear to be as full as ever of cakes and pastrycake makers and pastrycooks have had to cut down certain lines or make those which contain less butter. In addi tion, their butter supplies have been reduced by on>third. and margarine supplies, which have been short for several months, will also be reduced by one-third iext month. In a letter to “The Press” a correspondent under the nom-de-plume of “Country,” says that country people are asking way the shops and tearooms in the city are as full as ever of cakes and pastry. The correspondent adds that this is causing much discontent, and asks whether luxuries could not be cut out from both town and country, ice-creams included. Commenting cn this letter, the secretary of a cake manufacturing firm said that before butter rationing hall of the firm’s output consisted of the best fruit cake. The firm was still making the same quantity of cake, but less of the expensive varieties, and was concentrating on lines which contained less butter. Also the output included a lot more sponges which did not contain any butter. A little • margarine was used instead of butter, but supplies had been short for months and months, and the quota would be cut by one-third next month. The manager of another firm of cake manufacturers said that his firm had met the butter rationing by cuttmg down certain lines, and making certain adjustments. When sugar rationing was introduced more pastry was made, and now more sponges, which did not require so much butter, were made. One difficulty, however, was that sponges required sugar. If there was any sugar or butter over at the end of a rationing period it was used for lines requiring them. “As for the statement that the shops and tearooms are as full as' ever of cakes and pastry, I thirik it is merely a matter of display,” said this manager. “There may be the same amount of cakes on show, but there are less in the trays under the counter. Naturally shops try to keep up their display.” Proprietors of home-made cake shops have found that the reduction of butter supplies has meant a corresponding reduction in the number of cakes made,