Chippies feel impact of war in Ukraine

FISH and chip shops are the latest businesses affected by the war in Ukraine.

Banico Zeniou, along with wife Jodie, owns Fylde Fish Bar, a chain of local branches in Burscough and Southport.

Banico said he is facing rising costs following the conflict in Ukraine.

One example of how costs are rising exponentially due to the war in Ukraine is the price of cod. The fish was previously sourced from Russian waters but this is no longer an option due to sanctions placed on the country. Banico has also asked people to bear this in mind when ordering at their local chippy.

He said: “Like everyone, we are really saddened to see the daily horrors of the war in Ukraine and the devastation it is causing to the people living there and to the growing numbers of refugees. We hope they can find a way of ending this conflict as soon as possible.”

He continued: “These are challenging times at the moment, not just for us, but for chippies across the country. If this situation continues much longer then I can see some businesses having to close down.

“It is that bad.

“This is not just for me. I am asking people to support their local chippy wherever they are in the UK. People should be aware of what is going on at the moment and how this situation is affecting local businesses.

“The price of our cod for example has gone up by 33% in the past two weeks. They reckon it is likely to go up by another 60% in the next couple of weeks.

“It is because 40% of the cod that comes into this country comes from Russian waters, which is now being impacted by sanctions on Russia. Because of the sanctions, the price of all white fish is going up.

“Another issue we face is cooking oil, 40% of which comes from Ukraine. Another problem is wheat, which they grow in Ukraine, which they use to make the flour that we use to make batter for our fish.

“The soaring costs of fertiliser at the moment means that potatoes are becoming dearer. We are also experiencing significant price increases in gas and electricity.

“It is creating the perfect storm for fish and chip shops across the

UK. This is hitting the whole industry. I hope they can find a peaceful resolution to this terrible war in Ukraine soon.

“I hope people everywhere will continue to support their local fish shop until they do. We really need people to support us right now.

“We are trying our best not to put our prices up for as long as we can. In addition to things like cod, we will also be looking at other fish that we can also offer to our customers, although we will only ever sell fish that is top quality.”