Without Government action, fish and chips could go the way of the red telephone box – much loved, but a relic of the past

HAS the fish supper had its chips?

That was the question I posed as I closed out the Parliamentary day with what’s called the Adjournment Debate.

It was a quirky way of addressing the cost of living crisis that has seen prices soar across the board.

Fish and chips is a leitmotif for the issues, subject of a perfect storm of problems…

Fish itself is more expensive; so are potatoes; so is the oil in which they are fried – our No.1 source of sunflower oil is benighted Ukraine.

Power to fire up the fryers is dearer, and the cost of employing staff to cook and serve – also up considerably thanks to a minimum wage hike, and increased employers’ National Insurance contributions.

No wonder data from the ONS shows the average price of a portion of takeaway fish and chips was £10.96 in December, up from £9.99 on the year before, an increase of 10pc. The £15 ‘chippie tea’ is not unknown, turning what was once a staple into a luxury treat.

That price increase was steeper for fish and chips than for other takeaways.

Over the same period, the average price of a Chinese takeaway main course increased by 4pc; the average price of a takeaway Indian main increased by 3pc, while the average price of a takeaway pizza rose by just 2pc.

That £10 barrier is significant, for customers generally have a ceiling on what they regard as reasonable – £7 for a pint of beer, for instance.

Above that, and sales dip, so no wonder – at £40 and more a fish dinner for a family of four – ONS report sales of fish and chips fell 21pc in 2024 compared to the previous year.

Fish and chip shops accounted for 60pc of this fall, with 36 million fewer portions sold in 2024, compared to 2023.

With businesses across my constituency warning they face difficult choices as prices soar, I was keen to air the issue.

In part it was also about puncturing the myth that we politicians are out of touch with public concerns, so cosseted are we in our Westminster ivory towers.

There is the almost certainly apocryphal story that Peter Mandelson asked for ‘some of your lovely guacamole’ to go with his fish and chips on a constituency visit. Of course, it was mushy peas on display.

In reality, most of us know our onions – pickled, as well as fried rings.

Government does not set the cost of fish and chips, but it does hold the reins over so many aspects of what we pay.

Fishing is much more complex than it appears, with a blizzard of issues such as quotas, total allowable catch, terms such as ‘demersal’ and ‘pelagic’ – the former relating to ground species such as cod; the latter relating to deep-sea waters.

This is all set among a sea of international deals and agreements.

Two issues stand out for me. One, that this island nation is actually a net importer of fish, and two that the EU takes about seven times the monetary value of fish from our waters as we secure from theirs.

There is scope, I argue, for Government to be much more supportive of sustainable fishing which faces a green backlash and problems with ‘spatial squeeze’ as ever-more infrastructure, especially in renewable power, is located offshore.

The Government is trying to tackle power bills that are among the highest in the world, but the focus has been on the energy intensive industries and domestic bills.

Poor old chip shops, very much in the micro-business category, have had a shocker of late.
I rail too against the idea that fish-fryers are low skilled.

Often they’re in their all-important first job, proving they can be reliable, can handle cash and valuable stock as well as deal with the public.

They’re building career foundations that could mean they’re slinging chips today, and a FTSE 100 CEO tomorrow.

Fish and chips were deemed so vital to wartime morale that Churchill insisted they be exempt from rationing.

The concern now is that this delicious dish goes the way of the red telephone box – much loved, but a relic of the past.

I hope the Government will act across departments to ensure this British classic is not frittered away.