Chip shops battered by price rises

A CLASSIC Kiwi meal could become a threatened species if breakneck price increases continue, fish and chip shop operators are warning.

Tahuna Camp Store worker Tyson Haley, of Dunedin, said the price of a 15kg box of potatoes went up by $5 recently, taking it to about $40.

The price of everything else was going up, too, and customers had been left surprised.

‘‘Things that would usually be quite cheap are now very expensive,’’ Mr Haley said.

Botanical Takeaways operator Li Kuang, of Dunedin, said prices had increased across the board, especially for oils and fats.

The cost of vegetable oil had leapt from $9 a kg to $13.50 a kg over the space of a few months, he said.

‘‘It’s crazy’’, Mr Kuang said. The increases had been hard on businesses and it was not easy to increase prices for customers, even by small amounts such as 20c or 30c because it left patrons unhappy.

While his store had largely held prices steady, it was probably not sustainable to do so for much longer.

Prices for boxes of wholesale chips were set to increase by about another $10 in the coming months, Mr Kuang said.

Saint Clair Fish Supply owner Xie Yan, of Dunedin, said the prices of ingredients had gone up ‘‘too fast’’, and he had no idea if they would stop soon.

While some customers had been angry about the costs being passed on, others had been more understanding, Mr Yan said.

The Galley Takeaways operator Diane Williamson, of Bluff, described the price rises as ‘‘insane’’.

Chips were a staple for New Zealand families, but the cost was only going to go up, because the global prices for potatoes were extreme, she said.

It made for quite a stressful environment to operate in, and New Zealanders would have to adjust to a slightly more costly Friday night treat.

‘‘I don’t see an end in sight,’’ she said.

She had spoken to local MPs about the issues faced by her store and others, but there were a lot of global factors in play which were affecting the price of chip shop ingredients.

Her customers had generally been understanding and willing to pay a little bit more, Ms Williamson said.

New potatoes for Christmas were likely to be affected by price increases, too, and her advice for consumers was to start growing their own vegetables.