Cheap as chips? Not any more as price rockets

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

A box containing 30 to 40 fish used to set chip shop owners back £80 – now it costs £250.

And it's the same with oil, which used to cost £8 for a 12.5kg box but is now £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.

Maria, owner of The Flying Fish in Telford, said: "We are the worst-hit industry. It's killing us. We are not making any profit, we are just at a loss.

"Brexit of course did not help, as well as the bad season which affected the potato harvest. Farmers are greedy; the demand is greater because there's less product and they're just bumping up their prices.

"Oil has gone from £7 to £27. Fish prices change daily. Our stock price is bigger than our profit.

"This has greatly impacted customers – fish and chips is meant to be a cheap family take away, but cod loin is more expensive than a fillet steak now.

"The Government needs to help small businesses – it is not helping us at all."

The price of potatoes has also increased significantly. A few years ago, a 25kg bag would have cost £3.50, and is now sold for nearly £14.

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 per cent 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.