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Not quite 99 hilarious reactions to the Cadbury 99 Flake shortage

<p>The summer staple is in jeopardy thanks to a surge in demand</p>

The summer staple is in jeopardy thanks to a surge in demand

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It’s not exactly ice cream weather in the UK at the moment but we Brits are a sturdy lot.

The wind, rain and even thunder haven’t been enough to dampen our taste for that iconic summer treat –the Cadbury 99 Flake.

In fact, demand for the soft-serve ice cream combo has been so great over recent weeks that it’s left the country with a dearth in supplies of the crumbly chocolate toppers.

"We are seeing a recent increase in demand for our Cadbury 99 Flake in the UK and Ireland that we had not expected," Cadbury owner Mondelez said.

The shortage has aroused alarm on social media, with some Twitter users suggesting a Flake-free summer wouldn’t be worth easing lockdown for, while other, more optimistic, sweet tooths have come up with contingency plans:

As you can see, the despair has been real:

But some resourceful chocaholics have tried to come up with stopgaps:

Others have pointed out more obvious solutions:

(Just to clarify, the ice cream toppers you get from an ice cream van or parlour are half the size of the Flakes sold in shops.)

Meanwhile, one hospitality worker took the opportunity to revive the world’s favourite meme generator – the Ever Given:

(Another FYI: most of the 99 Flakes sold in Britain are made in a factory in Egypt, with some also arriving from a facility in Coolock in Ireland, the BBC reports.)

Still, there’s hope for anyone with a bit of extra cash who’s really desperate...

Mondelez has not said how long it expects the shortage – which is only thought to be affecting the UK and Ireland – to last.

However in a statement, the company said: "The product is still available to order and we’re continuing to work closely with our customers."

All we can say is, Cadbury better keep its eye on it’s Twirl supplies...

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