Fish and chips.......too pricey

[peteb]

I just read a BBC article about the soaring cost of Fish and Chips, up 50% in the past 5 years, to nearly £10.

Fish and chips UK takeaway with biggest price rise

The deep fried delicacy has seen the biggest price increase of some of the UK’s most popular takeaways, according to new figures.

www.bbc.com

Fish and chips is a British family favourite equally enjoyed around the table on a Friday night or out of the paper on an often overcast beach.

But the deep fried delicacy has seen the biggest price increase of some of the UK’s most popular takeaways, according to new figures.

The average price for a portion of fish and chips rose more than 50% to nearly £10 in the five years to July – while the cost of a kebab went up 44% and pizza 30%.

Being a staple food of many a railtour/heritage railway visit, what do you think of the price rise? Would smaller portions be healthier and cheaper?

 

[PeterC]

If SWMBO and I visit a chippie we always get a piece of fish each bur one portion of chips between us. Chip portions are usually far larger than one person would eat.

 

[Silver Cobra]

I have noticed the steady increase in the price of fish & chips as a whole. However, I've also noticed that Skegness seems to buck the trend a bit in that regard. The chippys on the seafront seem to be fairly competitively priced for fish & chips. One particular chippy I like to frequent is Fox's (formerly Harry Ramsbottom's), who offer cod, chips and mushy peas for £7.99, or haddock, chips and mushy peas for £6.99. The portion isn't that small either. I can only assume they're happy to scrape the bare minimum of profit per sale, relying on volume of sales to make up for it.

Here is a picture of their typical portion of cod and chips, and their price list.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

That fish certainly looks reasonably decently sized.

 

[Iskra]

I don’t mind paying it where the quality is there. I’m lucky that I have a chippy within walking distance that is very reasonably priced, but a bit average or I can drive 5 minutes for excellent but 40% more expensive fish and chips (but you won’t need to eat anything else that day…), so I have a choice at least.

 

[318266]

I'm from Scotland, so things are slightly different here - I can't remember what the local cost of a fish supper is, but it is certainly below that average figure. Then again, my area isn't known to be upmarket!

 

[SteveM70]

If SWMBO and I visit a chippie we always get a piece of fish each bur one portion of chips between us. Chip portions are usually far larger than one person would eat.

We do similar when we have f&c. The one by the pier in Saltburn is the best - we ask for two fish and one chips split across two takeaway boxes and nine times in ten we get pretty much a full portion of chips in each box. And loads of scraps, obviously

 

[steamybrian]

Prices vary on where you live. In London prices are high..
I live in the South East where prices are lower than London but higher than the rest of the country.
My local chippy charges around £10 for fish and chips but that is average for around here.

 

[Snow1964]

Down here in the south, typically between £11 and £13

 

[peteb]

If SWMBO and I visit a chippie we always get a piece of fish each bur one portion of chips between us. Chip portions are usually far larger than one person would eat.

Yes I agree there!

I have noticed the steady increase in the price of fish & chips as a whole. However, I've also noticed that Skegness seems to buck the trend a bit in that regard. The chippys on the seafront seem to be fairly competitively priced for fish & chips. One particular chippy I like to frequent is Fox's (formerly Harry Ramsbottom's), who offer cod, chips and mushy peas for £7.99, or haddock, chips and mushy peas for £6.99. The portion isn't that small either. I can only assume they're happy to scrape the bare minimum of profit per sale, relying on volume of sales to make up for it.

Here is a picture of their typical portion of cod and chips, and their price list.

View attachment 164468 View attachment 164469

Nice, and way cheaper than the Midlands

I'm from Scotland, so things are slightly different here - I can't remember what the local cost of a fish supper is, but it is certainly below that average figure. Then again, my area isn't known to be upmarket!

But do they do deep fried Mars bars?

We do similar when we have f&c. The one by the pier in Saltburn is the best - we ask for two fish and one chips split across two takeaway boxes and nine times in ten we get pretty much a full portion of chips in each box. And loads of scraps, obviously

Ah, scraps, don't get those very often!

 

[Darandio]

Would smaller portions be healthier and cheaper?

The vast majority of fish and chip shops I visit these days already offer smaller portions. Regarding price, if the quality is there i'm fairly happy to pay around £10 and whilst the article claims the average price is now at that level i've seen plenty of places charging that and more for quite some time.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The vast majority of fish and chip shops I visit these days already offer smaller portions.

My local chippy, does a small piece of cod, a portion of chips and a splash of mushy peas, for £5.20 in total. It's quite sufficient most of the time. Full size portions, would, however, easily be North of a tenner these days.

 

[1D54]

Mini cod etc wasn't heard of years ago but with the financial squeeze it has become very popular.

My favourite is the Good Catch near Freshfield station in Formby, can't remember the prices but they are very reasonable especially seeing as it is situated a few minutes walk from the very upmarket area where many Liverpool FC players live.

 

[trainophile]

I have noticed the steady increase in the price of fish & chips as a whole. However, I've also noticed that Skegness seems to buck the trend a bit in that regard. The chippys on the seafront seem to be fairly competitively priced for fish & chips. One particular chippy I like to frequent is Fox's (formerly Harry Ramsbottom's), who offer cod, chips and mushy peas for £7.99, or haddock, chips and mushy peas for £6.99. The portion isn't that small either. I can only assume they're happy to scrape the bare minimum of profit per sale, relying on volume of sales to make up for it.

Here is a picture of their typical portion of cod and chips, and their price list.

View attachment 164468 View attachment 164469

On my two trips to Skegness over the years I've noticed that there are more chips shops than anywhere else I've been in the UK, virtually one in every three shops was a chippy. Don't know what it's like now, but a bit of healthy competition will help to keep the prices down.

Last summer the chippy near the harbour in Bridlington was doing a small portion of f&c for £5.99. I did buy one, it was quite adequate for a lunchtime snack, but hard to eat the fish with a little wooden fork as it was a bit flaky!

 

[Merle Haggard]

I can recommend, for quality and low price, a fish and chip restaurant at Colwyn Bay. if you head straight out of the station across the road and up the hill it's about half way up the hill on the right. it's about £7 for an 'eat in' and perfect when you are roving the scenic north Wales coast by rail.
Regarding one portion of chips being adequate for two. Rather than asking for 'two fish and one chips' which might lead the shop to assume that you are being 'tight' and give you a particularly miserly portion of chips (from experience!) I ask for 'Fish and chips and an extra fish' which creates a different impression...

 

[GRALISTAIR]

At Barton Chippy (4 miles north of Preston on the A6), it is 7 pounds for a very large fish and large portion of chips and always good. I always go there when I am home in the UK

 

[trainophile]

I can recommend, for quality and low price, a fish and chip restaurant at Colony Bay. if you head straight out of the station across the road and up the hill it's about half way up the hill on the right. it's about £7 for an 'eat in' and perfect when you are roving the scenic north Wales coast by rail.
Regarding one portion of chips being adequate for two. Rather than asking for 'two fish and one chips' which might lead the shop to assume that you are being 'tight' and give you a particularly miserly portion of chips (from experience!) I ask for 'Fish and chips and an extra fish' which creates a different impression...

Haha autocorrect strikes again. Colwyn Bay presumably?

 

[Merle Haggard]

Haha autocorrect strikes again. Colwyn Bay presumably?

Indeed. And I corrected it three times!!! Correcting it isn't enough, you have to click that little x underneath too (apple laptop - I still haven't t got used to it.)
.

I've thought of starting a thread about what the computer wrongly thinks you really mean. In the early days of word processing and auto correction, my colleague was faxing a letter to someone very important at TLF.* whose first name was Patrick. As she was watching it disappear into the machine she notice that it started 'Dear xxxxx" - not Patrick, the computer had decided that this was a spelling error for a dictionary word, not a proper name and the 'at' bit had been removed...

*TLF Trainload Freight.

 

[Busaholic]

In Cornwall you'd pay £12 to £15 now, a lot more at Rick Stein's clip joint (sorry, chip joint).

 

[Statto]

A Fish dinner at my local chippy is now £9.95, which is Fish (Cod or Haddock), Chips, Mushy Peas, with a choice of Gravy, Chinese Curry, or Fruity Curry, it was £5 in 2019. A Fish alone is £6.50 when it was £3 in 2019.

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

There's an excellent long-standing fish and chip shop near me which offers fish and chips at the rather reasonable price of £7.90 (bearing in mind this is Surrey). From talking to people, it seems their prices haven't increased in years.

 

[Iskra]

£3 in Grimsby

 

[318266]

But do they do deep fried Mars bars?

No, but they do deep fried pizza, deep fried black pudding, and probably a couple more that I can't remember.

 

[1D54]

Deep fried steak pies from the Blue Lagoon chippies in Glasgow are gorgeous, I could eat em till the cows come home.

 

[Falcon1200]

Fish & chips in the place I use most often, in Oxford, is indeed nearly £10, however the portions are huge and can satisfy two people, unless both are gluttons!

 

[peteb]

I can recommend, for quality and low price, a fish and chip restaurant at Colwyn Bay. if you head straight out of the station across the road and up the hill it's about half way up the hill on the right. it's about £7 for an 'eat in' and perfect when you are roving the scenic north Wales coast by rail.
Regarding one portion of chips being adequate for two. Rather than asking for 'two fish and one chips' which might lead the shop to assume that you are being 'tight' and give you a particularly miserly portion of chips (from experience!) I ask for 'Fish and chips and an extra fish' which creates a different impression...

Now that's clever psychology!

No, but they do deep fried pizza, deep fried black pudding, and probably a couple more that I can't remember.

Always a decent range of deep fried stuff in Scotland! Arbroath has some decent fish & chips including "smokies".

Indeed. And I corrected it three times!!! Correcting it isn't enough, you have to click that little x underneath too (apple laptop - I still haven't t got used to it.)
.

I've thought of starting a thread about what the computer wrongly thinks you really mean. In the early days of word processing and auto correction, my colleague was faxing a letter to someone very important at TLF.* whose first name was Patrick. As she was watching it disappear into the machine she notice that it started 'Dear xxxxx" - not Patrick, the computer had decided that this was a spelling error for a dictionary word, not a proper name and the 'at' bit had been removed...

*TLF Trainload Freight.

On similar vein Birmingham City Council once sent out a whole load of planning consultations to adjacent Rubery, in Worcester****e!........(I see the forum won't publish the word, but as r is next to t on the keyboard you get the idea).

 

[DarloRich]

I just read a BBC article about the soaring cost of Fish and Chips, up 50% in the past 5 years, to nearly £10.

Ingredients and energy cost more & more money............

 

[CharlieSpotted]

I seem to remember a while back, probably before Covid and the cost of living crisis, a lot of talk about fish & chips becoming more expensive because of a problem with supply of Cod. This led some chippies to offer alternatives like Pollock.

Assuming Cod is still hard / expensive to come by (and, around here, you rarely see the alternatives that you once did) perhaps it's a perfect storm of factors.

 

[jon81uk]

Wetherspoons offer surprisingly good fish (battered in-house) but only chips from frozen. Its usually a better price than going to a chippy though!

 

[Gloster]

A lot of cod for chippies used to come from Russian sources and there have been problems with trade with that country for a couple of years. There has been an increase in cod from Norway, Iceland, Faroe and…China, the last of which is a major source. But it all costs.