Ice cream fans in meltdown as global shortage hits vanilla

 Lovers of ice cream face bitter disappointment this bank holiday as vanilla scoops are pulled off menus at restaurants and shops.

The price of vanilla pods has surged after a cyclone hit Madagascar, the world’s top producer, in March.

Madagascar produces around 80 per cent of the world’s vanilla, but much of the nation’s crops were destroyed. One high-end London gelato chain, Oddono, has been forced to remove vanilla ice cream from its menu.

It said it was previously able to buy 1kg of vanilla pods for £250, but the same amount would now cost about £650.

Supplies of vanilla ice cream containing artificial flavourings are unaffected.

The confidence of the nation faltered ever so slightly last week when the walnuts were removed from the top of Nestlé Walnut Whips. Were there no certainties left? Instead, the rather inadequately named Whip offered us a cone of chocolate encasing vanilla goo. It turns out that many people prefer that to the nutty variety. But if walnuts were expensive as a garnish, is the vanilla in the goo next to go? Vanilla prices have shot up to $600 (£469) a kilogram. Is it a price worth paying for a flavour that, frankly, has often equated to a blank – the mere default taste of white ice-cream? It is all due to cyclones in Madagascar, and proves the modern confectioner to be as dependent on the spice trade as any medieval pastry cook. While the shortage lasts we may have to save costly vanilla pods for rare treats such as pears poached in wine.