Cheap as chips? Not any more as price rockets

Fish and chip shops across the region have spoken of being the 'worst hit industry' as the average price of the staple dish hikes to £9.

A box containing 30 to 40 fish used to cost £80 a few years ago said And Singh, the owner of Penn Chippy. Now it costs £250.

"Same with the oil", Mr Singh said. "I used to be able to get a block of vegetable oil, 12.5kg, for £8. Now it's £27."

The price of a large fish and chips has shot up by almost a fifth according to The Office for National Statistics (ONS), which launched a comparison tool to show how much everyday items have increased during the cost of living crisis.

The data showed a surge in takeaway food and dining, with the cost of an average takeaway fish and chips jumping by 19 per cent to £9.

A number of chip shop owners said the same reason for their pricey fish; Brexit.

They also agreed that footfall has dropped significantly.

Mr Singh, who sells fish and chips for £9 said he is "lucky to have regulars".

"We all had Brexit – that was a big no no," he said. "The price of fish went up for the first time in 20 years.

"We are lucky to have our regulars who come in often, but we have still had to make cuts. Gas and electricity bills are extortionate. The overheads have made owning a chippy not worth it anymore.

"We are definitely not getting the same footfall as we used to.

"It's not just us, everyone is in the same boat. We have been thrown into the deep end and if you can tread water you'll survive. If you can't, you drown."

The price of potatoes has also increased significantly. Andy remembers when a 25kg bag cost £3.50 a few years ago, and now sets him back nearly £14.

Chris Minas, owner of Broadway Chippy in Walsall, has to charge £10.15 to be able to make a profit.

"We only buy high quality fish, but the price has increased massively since Brexit because of import fees.

"We have really dropped in the number of customers we're getting. People can't afford it anymore. If it keeps going like this, having a fish and chip dinner will become a novelty, something people will do once a month as opposed to your Friday fish and chips."

At The Island House, an up-market takeaway and restaurant with outlets in Wolverhampton, Tipton and Birmingham, the dish costs £9.95, which staff member Tilisha Wilson said reflects the quality of the product.

"The fish market is much more expensive now but still it's a high price for high quality," she said.

"We can't buy good quality, expensive fish and sell it for £4 because you won't make a profit that way."

It comes after UK Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation peaked at 11.1 per cent late last year and food prices kept increasing. The price of groceries leapt by more than 19 per cent in March compared with a year ago.

The website tracks the prices of a number of products and services, from cheddar cheese to MOTs. .

Over the year, 60 grocery products used in the tool saw prices shoot up by 20 per cent or more, including five items that rose by 40 per cent or more.

The price of cheddar cheese went up by 42 per cent, while white sliced bread went up by 29. Meanwhile, the cost of a full English – sausages, bacon, eggs, baked beans and toast – went up by 24 per cent.

The data also showed a surge in takeaway food and eating out, with fish and chips jumping by 19 per cent and a hot meal in a pub by 13 to an average of £11.05. The cost of buying a pint of beer and a packet of crisps rose by seven per cent.

Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "The supermarket shop is an increasingly painful experience for all of us, and you're not safe in the local takeaway or the pub either.

"This new tool reveals the really horrible price rises that are laying waste to our budgets, and forcing us to cut back or give up on some of the treats we love the most."

Healthcare products also increased in price, with the cost of cold and flu medicine rising by 24 per cent.

Shoes and clothes have gone up in price too, with children's sports trainers costing, on average, £34.48.