Issue of the day Fish and chips warning

WIDELY regarded as the national dish of the United Kingdom, enjoyed on trips to the seaside as hungry gulls flutter overhead, as well as on those evenings when you just can’t be bothered slaving over a hot stove, a warning has been issued over the future of fish and chips.

A good old fish supper…

…often hits the spot, but all is not well in the land of the fish and chip shop as the National Federation of Fish Friers warn the industry is facing a real and rising threat.

It’s such a historic dish?

The hot dish of fried fish in crispy batter, with chips on the side, originated in England, with fish and chip shops first popping up in the UK in the 1800s – Charles Dickens referred to a “fried fish warehouse” in his novel, Oliver Twist’, back in 1838. By the early years of the 20th century, there were more than 25,000 chip shops in the UK.

Who put the two together?

Fried fish was introduced to Britain in the 16th century by Jews, while chips seem to have come from Belgium or France in the 17th century, although the exact moment of the two being brought together in a historic union is uncertain, with Lancashire and London staking a claim to doing so.

Regardless?

The meal became a staple of the British diet. So much so that fish and chips were one of the few foods never rationed during the Second World War, with Sir Winston Churchill referring to them as “the good companions”. The government believed that safeguarding this comfort meal during a time of distress was vital to keeping morale up.

And now?

British consumers spend £1.2 billion on fish and chips each year.

However?

The National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF) has said that since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, makers of the great British dish have had to shut down, hike prices or change their menus as the UK is heavily dependent on seafood from Russia – a world leader in exports of cod, as well as potato fertiliser used to make chips. Meanwhile, Ukraine and Russia account for about 60 per cent of world production of sunflower oil, What does this mean? In 2020, the UK imported a third of all whitefish for £200million, but sanctions and supply disruptions mean prices are soaring as products prove harder to come by. Andrew Crook, president of the NFFF, said: “We need action before longterm damage is done that can’t be repaired. We aren’t after handouts. We are a proud industry. But a lot of businesses will go to the wall and we need a longterm strategy to see us through”.