VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — From a rash of food recalls to rising prices, it has exacted a toll on those in the food industry, including Plaza Bakery owner Cristal Spellman.
From recalls on vegetables such as cucumbers to those on everyday items such as eggs, it has been a lot just for the everyday grocery shopper, much less for bakers, chefs and restaurants.
Plaza Bakery, a favorite among the Hampton Roads community, serves everything from banana pudding to their iconic Petit Fours at its Virginia Beach location.
“We are extremely busy this is the best time of the year,” Spellman said. “It’s an exciting time for us.”
But getting to December has been a long journey for people like Spellman, whose ingredients for baked goods and lunch menu items have seen cost increases and recalls, posing a challenge to get the quality ingredients she needs.
For instance, just this week, Kirkland Organic Eggs were recalled.
“I have to go from store to store to find out what products are the best price,” Spellman said. “So for eggs to either be recalled or the prices to go up, that’s a huge problem for me. Everything is like, extremely high for us. You could get a bag of flour for $20, and now it’s $30, and sometimes $40, depending on what type we need.”
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When doing inventory, she’s extra vigilant about what brands to buy and reminds everyone to stay up to date on the recent recalls so you don’t put yourselves or others at risk.
But if you’re the one in charge of the holiday treats this year, she invites you to visit Plaza Bakery and make it a little easier on yourself, while supporting a local business.
“We just can’t survive with just us alone,” she said. “We need the community support to come and help us.”
Plaza Bakery is located at 3762 Virginia Beach Blvd. To stay up to date on the latest food recalls click here.
