Ice cream sellers say they are facing ‘nightmare’ shortage of Cadbury Flakes

With a ‘summer of discontent’ looming in the form of mass strikes and a full-scale economic crisis, weary Britons going through a tough time are probably looking forward to a holiday by the sea.

But if you were looking forward to strolling along the beach with an ice cream in hand as temperatures hit a searing 35C, your plans may have been crushed – as ice cream sellers face a ‘nightmare’ shortage of Cadbury 99 Flakes for the second year in a row.

The crumbly chocolate treats are crucial to the sweet treat combo known as a 99 that has kept British families happy for years.

Now, Cadbury’s parent company has revealed that it is working hard to resolve ‘global supply chain disruptions’ after deciding to have most of its Flakes produced in a factory near Cairo, Egypt.

It is unknown why the chocolates are called 99 Flakes but it is possibly a reference to when they topped soft-serve cones that sold for only 99p 

Abby Beech, owner of Abbey’s Ice Cream in Hessle, East Yorkshire, said she had been limited to 10 boxes are her supplier.

‘There are 144 [Flakes] in a box. It sounds a lot but if you go to a large event you could easily use eight or nine boxes,’ she told the BBC.

US giant Mondelez said sales have outstripped stock levels agreed with its customers at the start of the year. 

A spokesperson said: ‘In line with what many other companies are reporting, we are experiencing some global supply chain disruptions, alongside a recent increase in demand for the product in the UK and Ireland above the levels that we agreed with our customers at the start of the year.

‘This means we are experiencing some short-term stock challenges on Flake 99.

‘We are working, and will continue to work hard, to resolve the situation, and are working closely with our direct distributive customers to manage stock allocation fairly based on initial forecasts.’ 

The entrance to the Cadbury factory in Bournville on April 5, 2017 in Birmingham

MailOnline has contacted Mondelez, Cadbury’s parent company, for further comment.

The Ice Cream Alliance said: ‘There is, once again, a shortage of the flake product. This is disappointing to our members and their customers as the Flake product is synonymous with the whippy ice cream known as the Flake99 and enjoyed throughout the UK especially during the summer months.

‘The ICA hopes that the supply issue is resolved as soon as possible to benefit both our members, the ice cream industry and their customers.’

It is unknown why the chocolates are called 99 Flakes but it is possibly a reference to when they topped soft-serve cones that sold for only 99p.

Cadbury suggested the topper takes its name from a period where things considered elite by Italians were referred to as 99s because the King of Italy had an elite bodyguard unit of 99 men.

Fans of the ice cream – which is believed to be the UK’s favourite – have taken to Twitter to suggest alternatives including Kinder Buenos and Cadbury Freddos.