kosherguy's Profile
Shmura matzo prices
It's a good question. We could use somebody with inside information and knowledge to answer it instead of having us all guess.
Shmura matzo prices
While there have been some theories mentioned as to why there's such a disparate price difference between some brands of hand shmurah matzo, the issue I'd like to address is directly to you Marty, regarding what you consider to be the high price of the $8 matzo. Break it down man, and get over it. There are HUGE costs associated with making matzo and YES, it ABSOLUTELY does require highly skilled labor! And it's something that not everybody can do. Picture it - the speed necessary (start to finish in under 18 minutes, or the ENTIRE operation is compromised!), the consistency of thickness, the hot working conditions, and the fact that you have to find people who are available to work for just a few weeks and make it worth their while. Also, some of the smaller manufacturers will primarily use Jewish laborers - not hiring and training cheap labor that don't know nor care about the halachot. These aren't 1# loaves of bread ya know! And there's more than 1 piece of matzo in a box. As far as the price difference, another factor could be that "small batch" anything is priced higher, so the more commercial brands will generally be less expensive. Another factor to consider is that at least some (if not virtually all) of these matzo factories are dormant the entire year. With energy costs as high as they are, and the recent spike in the price of flour, consider $8 a pound a steal! Revisit this next year and you'll probably be looking at a minimum of $9 to $10 per pound. Yes, Pesach is and has always been a holiday that stretches (and breaks) our wallets, and it is true that some companies are making huge (and unacceptable and halachically problematic) profits, but I'd be hard-pressed to believe that those huge profits are coming from their hand shmurah matzo.
Amanda's in Baltimore?
Has anybody been to Amanda's? I heard mixed reviews after they reopened, but nothing since January...
