Price of fish and chips portion is up to £10 as cost pressures grow

YORKSHIRE FISH and chip shop owners have warned price rises for customers are unlikely to stop for the foreseeable future – with some now charging £10 and above for individual portions.

Those working in the industry across the county are facing financial challenges on multiple fronts as their running costs continue to spiral.

David Ellis, 62, who runs Chippy Woods, in Wakefield, said: “Fish has gone up each week, paper, oil and dripping has doubled in the past 12 months.”

He said that he is one of the cheapest fish and chip shops in the local area but they’ve still had to raise their prices twice which “barely covers it.”

A standard portion of fish and chips in his shop now costs £6.

David who runs the family business with his son Anthony Ellis, 31, said: “It’s gone up a pound a portion in the past year and it doesn’t look like it’ll stop.”

“It’s harder than when we started,” added David, who has been running Chippy Woods for 18 years.

“The cost of living has impacted on everyone, luckily our customers are understanding.”

Rebecca Jackson, 41, runs Angel

fisheries, in Whitby, with her family.

She said she is worried about prices rising even further for her business.

“It has a knock-on effect for everyone,” she said.

“I could put prices up more but I don’t want to pass it on because the cost of living is hitting everyone.

“Even a bag of dried peas is now £5.”

At the nearby Fish Box, in Whitby, manager George Briggs 27, said that £8.90 is about average for fish and chips.

“Our prices are probably a third more expensive,” he said.

Stuart Fusco, 45, owner of The

Quayside, which overlooks the sea from its fish and chip shop restaurant and takeaway, said “obviously the price of fish and chips and oil have gone up, the price of fuel has gone up, so its affecting people getting to Whitby”.

“It’s difficult for people to make ends meet at the moment.”

Stuart who has owned The

Quayside for 23 years, said: “The margins are a lot less and it’s more difficult or maybe it’s just because I’m getting older. “We’ve had to put prices up. “Prices are about £1 to £1.50 more for fish and chips than it was this time last year.

“Everything adds up. “It’s the perfect storm for everyone really.

“It’s now £10 for cod and chips on takeaway and hopefully we’ll stay at that.”

Tourists, however, have said that they were undeterred by the prices as they had come to the seaside for a “treat”.

“It’s terrible, but they’re still gorgeous so you just have to buy it,” said one person, who asked not to be named.

But it’s not just the seaside that is having to serve up fish and chips for more than £10 per portion.

Leeds business owner Christopher Hitchens who has had to move his business off-grid to a farm which generates its own electricity through manure, said: “You’re going to see fish and ships in the UK at £10.

“I’m all very keen for entrepreneurship but there’s certain things that shouldn’t be privatised such as electricity and trains.

“They’re squeezing commercial businesses.”

Fish has gone up each week, paper, oil, dripping doubled in 12 months. David Ellis, of Chippy Woods, Wakefield, where a standard fish and chip portion costs £6.