Morocco’s Pastry Chefs Face Holiday Slump Amid COVID-19 Restrictions

The year-end holidays are taking place in a context marked by the government’s decision to strengthen measures in the face of the virulence of Covid-19, by adopting a strict curfew, the closure of cafes, shops and shopping centers at 8 p.m. every day. Restaurants in cities like Casablanca, Tangier, Marrakech and Agadir have been asked to close.

Realizing the situation, several pastry shops have had to review their various offers, in order to meet the requirements of their customers. Telephone orders or home delivery are among the new proposals thought up by pastry chefs to replenish their coffers. Others have simply chosen to develop their own e-commerce website or to partner with platforms to sell their products, while respecting health measures, reports the MAP.

Nadia works in a renowned bakery and pastry shop franchise in Rabat. She confided that the month of December often crowns a year marked by declining sales. It is the month that all pastry chefs prefer because they know they will do good business. But with the scarcity of events, orders are also rare. Nevertheless, she notes that online orders put in place since the beginning of the lockdown have skyrocketed in recent days. Yule logs and mini-yule logs are the most popular orders at the moment.

Among the rare customers who come to this bakery, there is Amina, who has not lost any of her habits. She came to buy and give cakes and other sweets during this end-of-year period. "It’s the time of year when we allow ourselves a few treats," said this mother, adding that this year has been particularly stressful. "We want to indulge during this period, I think it’s very important for morale," she said.

Neighborhood bakeries are also struggling during this end-of-year period. Apart from bread orders, no one comes to get the cakes and sweets. Few come to inquire. According to some bakers, the announcement of the curfew can also lead to losses in terms of unsold products. While it should be the sweetest month of the year in terms of cake and other sales, December leaves a very bitter taste to the great distress of pastry chefs who hope for better days, the same source specifies.