Up to "a third" of fish and chip shops could be forced to close in the next few months due to food shortages, industry leaders have warned.
The iconic pairing of fish and chips have long been considered a staple of British dinner times. Whether you enjoy it smothered in salt and vinegar or drizzled with ketchup, it simply cannot be beaten. Today, there are around 10,500 chippies across the UK and, with twenty here in Cheltenham, we are spoilt for choice.
However, since the Russian-Ukraine war, chippies across the country have been faced with shortages of oil, fish, potatoes, and flour -their key ingredients. This has caused trade costs to rise.
Sky News recently reported that Ukraine supplies roughly fifty percent of the sunflower oil used by UK fish and chip shops. Russia, on the other hand, supplies us with flour, fertiliser for potatoes, and up to forty percent of our fish.
This disruption could force chippies to increase their prices or, in the worst case scenario, close for good.
Perry Perikleous, manager of Norwood Fish Bar in Cheltenham, says that his ingredients have gone up in price since the conflict began.
"The fish is much more expensive but for the moment it's alright. I have regular customers," he said, "Covid was worse. We were closed completely for a month and then we could not have anybody coming in the shop for a while".
Sam Azmayesh, owner of St Paul's Fish Bar in Cheltenham, agrees.
"So far this year, touch wood, stock hasn't been a problem to get hold of. It's more the price of the stock [...] Last year was a big drama," he said.
It's unclear what the future holds for our beloved chippies but we could all show our support by heading down to our local on a Fish and Chip Friday.
But how much do you know about fish and chips? You can test your knowledge right here with our fun quiz.
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