Photo / courtesy of Stacy Begin
Eggs are a key ingredient in baked goods made at Two Fat Cats in Portland.
Updated: 2 hours ago
High egg prices have Maine bakeries scrambling for solutions
Mainebiz graphic / Matt Selva
The average price of a dozen large Grade A eggs in U.S. cities has doubled from around $3 a year ago to around $6 today.
At Two Fat Cats in Portland, bakers are using around 800 eggs a week to make muffins, scones and other treats. With egg prices rising to record levels, that's getting more expensive by the day.
Nationwide, the average price of a dozen large Grade A eggs in U.S. cities has doubled, from around $3 in February 2024 to close to $6 last month, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s driving up costs for bakeries in Maine and elsewhere as economic uncertainty erodes consumer confidence.
"We're finding that customers are pretty gloomy about the economy and are pulling back on small luxuries," owner Stacy Begin told Mainebiz.
She said that while the first quarter is always tough for any hospitality business, she's found the start of 2025 to be "particularly challenging with the cost of eggs, the ups and downs of the economy, and the severe weather in February."
Begin, who sources her eggs from various vendors, said that while she expects to raise prices at some point, she's holding off for now. She plans to revisit that option weekly.
Days before the start of spring, she’s cautiously optimistic about the warmer months.
"There is no way of knowing how long the spike in pricing will last," said Begin. "Each business has to assess how much increase they can absorb and for how long."
'Go with the flow'
In Falmouth, Tina Cromwell of Bam Bam Bakery said she is paying "erratic egg prices" but does not expect the price increase to affect the business, which sells only gluten-free products.
She said she plans to absorb the rise in egg costs and not pass the expense on to customers.
"Eggs are essential to a bakery, but you just have to go with the flow," Cromwell said. "I don’t believe the prices will completely deflate, but I don’t think it’ll get worse."
Cromwell added that business has been going well, and she looks forward to a busy spring and summer.
Lorraine Fagela, the owner of Sweets and Co, a gluten-free bakery in Saco, said that her egg prices have tripled.
"The cost of making our pastries and bread has obviously increased, but we’re doing our best not to raise prices," she noted. "We believe prices will stabilize soon."
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