Whole Foods rolls back changes to berry Chantilly cake slices after criticism
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Whole Foods' Berry Chantilly cakes are crowd favorites. Photo: Carlie Kollath Wells/Axios
Whole Foods decided not to mess with its beloved berry Chantilly cake after hearing from unhappy customers, a spokesperson tells Axios New Orleans.
Why it matters: The Texas-based grocer says the slices will revert to the classic recipe by the end of the week.
Between the lines: A New Orleans baker created the original recipe for Whole Foods about 20 years ago.
- It's made with layers of vanilla cake, fluffy Chantilly cream frosting and fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.
- Berry Chantilly is Whole Foods' best-selling cake flavor west of the Mississippi River, the grocer says.
The big picture: Whole Foods tells Axios that a previous report was wrong about changes to the cake's recipe.
- The cake is a signature product and "remains unchanged," according to a statement.
- The slices, however, were changed last week. The fresh fruit in the cake layers was replaced with fruit compote, Whole Foods said.
- The goal was to standardized the slices sold at each store.
What they're saying: "I think all of America is disappointed and you should reverse your decision," Lisa of @mylegalera responded in a viral TikTok.
- And, Whole Foods is doing just that.
- "Customer feedback was clear," the statement said Monday afternoon. The original slices of berry Chantilly cake are returning to stores, Whole Foods tells Axios.
Catch up quick: Baker Chaya Conrad created Whole Foods' Chantilly cake when she worked at the Uptown location. She also created Rouses' berry Gentilly cake.
- Conrad opened Bywater Bakery in 2017 and sells several versions of Chantilly cake.
Zoom in: She told Axios on Monday that she's still selling whole cakes and slices of Chantilly. The recipe is the same for both, she said.
- The slices are $6 and they are simply slices of the regular cake.
- Her thoughts about the ingredient swap at Whole Foods? "Well, I still have berries in my slices."
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