Market Forces Conspire Against English Breakfast

Soaring wheat prices are rippling across the British economy and hitting hard in a very important place: the kitchen. The cost of a traditional full English breakfast is on the rise, reports the Times of London, thanks in large part to the price of the grain, which is integral not just to toast but also to animal feed.

Biofuel production has raised grain prices, and the price of wheat worldwide has doubled over the past year. In the UK, egg production is down because of lower margins—experts warn of shortages in the weeks leading up to Christmas—and milk shortages from this summer’s floods are still widespread. Meanwhile, farmers are selling pork at a loss. (More groceries stories.)