Saffron and Black Peppercorns
We have sad news about the price of saffron – it has more than doubled for all three grades that we offer. There are varying reasons that we have been given by our suppliers, so you can take your pick, or maybe add all three together. Firstly, poor weather conditions have caused a huge reduction in the output of saffron farms, thereby forcing the price up because of scarcity. Secondly, some growers in Spain were disenchanted with low prices and have not bothered to put in a crop for this current harvest. And thirdly, the government in Iran has decreed that it will purchase all saffron crops from the growers and handle the saffron sales itself, vastly inflating the price at the same time. As Iran produces about 90% of the world’s saffron, any major price movement there is bound to reflect on saffron all over the world. We expect the price to be volatile for some time … we don’t know yet whether buyer resistance will force the Iranian government to reduce their prices, or whether this new high price will become the norm. We wish we had better news for you.
So for some happier news – the cost of Super Grade Black Peppercorns has come down, and you have yourselves to thank for it! Because of demand, we are now importing larger quantities of these stunning peppercorns, so the price to us is less per kilo than it was before. You can now treat yourselves to these, the very best of peppercorns, without feeling that you’re being extravagant.