Fish and chip shops 'will not make it to Christmas' without support

Many fish and chip shops "will not make it to Christmas" without support to deal with rising costs, an industry body has warned.

Businesses are struggling with soaring energy bills while a 35% tariff on imports of Russian white fish, which accounts for around a third of the volume consumed in the UK, has further pushed up prices for many shops.

Andrew Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF), said fish and chip shops were already reducing staff numbers and cutting opening hours to try and survive.

He told The Caterer: "Across hospitality people will try and get as much money up until Christmas and then walk away. Many of my members won't make it until Christmas. The coastal shops and tourist shops will do alright as they've taken enough money this summer to get them through, but even they are saying [trade has] faded off earlier than normal.

"Many business owners will be paying to work; they'll be putting money in to keep the business afloat."

Crook has raised prices at his fish and chip shop, Skippers of Euxton near Chorley in Lancashire, but said some customers had already questioned it as expensive.

He is worried that consumers won't have the money to spend on fish and chips due to their own rising energy bills.

Crook said: "It's not just a job to us it's a way of life. I've had this job 17 years but it's my family's business, I've been around it since I was nine years old.

"The industry's going to change permanently off the back of this without question, we're going to lose a big portion of shops. Loads of my friends as well. It's a very frightening situation…[but] there is a special love of fish and chips in the nation so we've always got a chance while we've got that."

Crook said he had been speaking to two government departments since March, but representatives had "disappeared" over the summer.

He added: "I'd just like to know there is a plan and something in the pipeline because we've been abandoned over the summer. At the start I was told ‘nothing's off the table to support your sector' but as the time has gone on the problem has grown."

The government has been contacted for comment.

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