Ice Cream Lovers Warned Over 99er Flake Shortage Expected This Summer

All right, maybe it's not that serious but the fact is some people who want a 99 this summer may miss out because supplies of Flakes are running low.

This will be the second summer in a row that the UK has been brought low by a shortage of Flakes, with last year's problems reportedly due to a huge surge in demand.

This time it's problems with 'global supply chain disruptions' according to Cadburys parent company Mondelez who released a statement blaming 'short term' shortages on distribution issues.

The Flake shortage couldn't have come at a worse time for ice cream lovers as temperatures are set to rise and hit up to 32C in some parts of Britain by Friday (17 June).

Normally a 99 would be the perfect antidote to the sweltering weather, and the idea that someone might not be able to get one is too awful to contemplate.

Many ice cream sellers are worried they'll run out, with Abby Beech, owner of Abbey's Ice Cream in Hessle, East Yorkshire telling the BBC suppliers limited her to 10 boxes containing 144 Flakes each.

While that might sound like plenty, Abby said she 'could easily use eight or nine boxes' at a large event so as summer goes on the supplies of 99s could dwindle.

A lot of people think a Flake 99 is so called because it used to cost 99p, which you'd be very lucky to spend on one these days.

However, the actual reason has been, as Cadburys puts it, 'lost in the mists of time, but there are a few popular theories which all point towards Italy as the source of the name'.

The first theory goes that an Italian ice cream seller wanted to honour 'i Ragazzi del '99', First World War soldiers who were born in 1899 and wore feathers in their hats that looked a bit like chocolate flakes.

Another theory suggests that the Italian King had a royal guard of 99 men and as a result something that was the best of the best became known as '99', and obviously there's no better ice cream than the 99.

The third suggestion goes that the 99 was invented by Italian immigrant Stefano Arcari, who moved to Edinburgh and opened up an ice cream shop on 99 Portobello High Street.

As for the real answer, we don't know, so feel free to pick whichever theory you like best and wow your friends with your ice cream related trivia.