We’ve all experienced the disappointment when something small, lovely and off-the-radar has been ruined by fame. A local diner. A favourite product. But never has there been a more perfect illust-ration of the phenomenon than the rise – and fall – of the chicken wing…
I remember when chicken wings were typically 20 or 25 cents apiece. Tuesday or Thursday was ‘Wing Night’ at many bars and diners – and all you could eat wings were 10 cents each…
A pivotal product
Then the wing craze took off, and every-body was serving them. Dipping sauces proliferated. At their height, ‘wings’ became a pivot point in the competitive war between fast casual resto chains.
And as inevitably happens in situations like that, the demand for wings rose, farmers and processors couldn’t help but notice the opportunity, and wings were shoved onto an economic escal-ator that has landed them at around $1.50 each.
Today, my go-to supermarket is ‘feat-uring’ fresh, uncooked ‘split’ chicken wings at $14.00 for a ‘family pack’ of 20. That’s $0.70 per wing.
Changed the business
The craze for wings changed the chicken business in more ways than the price. One notable differ-ence now is that farmers are raising chickens optimized for big, meaty wings. They used to prioritize breasts and legs.
Now, it’s chicken thighs
Wings and thighs were once considered byproducts of the chicken business. They were poor folks’ food – like pork shoulders, bellies and ribs were back before the Barbecue craze hit, following the Second World War, driven by post-World War II suburban expansion.
Wings have had their hay day, and continue to thrive as a profit centre for the chicken industry. But they’ve plateaued as a phenomenon. And now, entrepreneurs and foodies are making long over-looked chicken thighs the next craze.
What’s happening?
“Statistics Canada’s newest consumer price index (CPI) numbers show overall inflation eased to 2.8 per cent in June as gas prices decelerated [temporarily], but prices for some grocery items still went up,” a CBC News report reveals. “Prices for fresh or frozen chicken thighs jumped 8.2 percent from May to June.” Compare that the 2.8 percent overall food price increase for the same period.
That would be considered absurd under normal economic circumstances. But the spotlight recently shone on the last frontier of the chicken carcass has caused a mania reminiscent of the wings phen-omenon.
Thighs are now just as expensive as wings at the supermarket. And it happened in the blink of an eye, economically speaking. It took wings years to reach the price they’re commanding today.
The quest for protein
“The chicken industry is under tremendous pressure because of the amped demand created by beef prices and people are looking for cheaper proteins at the meat counter,” says Prof Sylvain Charlebois, Director of the Canadian Agri-Food Analytics Lab.
Increased demand for chicken thighs has resulted mainly from a consumer ‘trade-down’ to cheaper met cuts, University of Guelph Ag-Food Prof. Michael von Massow agrees. Chicken is still cheaper than beef, he points out, and thighs are still cheaper than breasts.
My take
As aggravating and costly as the phenomenon may be, it’s as inevitable as the rising of the sun. When something becomes famous, folks rush to get it. Shortages occur. Suppliers boost the price according to what they think the market will bear. That’s supply and demand.
It appears the only way to stay ahead of the curve is to spot the next big thing before it becomes the ‘the next big thing’…
~ Maggie J.