A third of fish and chip shops under threat of closure due to rapidly increasing costs warns East Lothian owner

While there will always be disagreements about whether or not to put ‘chippy sauce’ on your dish, or whether Mars Bars should be deep fried, there is one thing that all fish and chips shops can agree on, and that is that costs are going up.
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With inflation rising amid the ongoing cost of living crisis, one owner is warning that a third of fish and chip shops could close due to the rapid increase in costs, including a whopping 75% increase in the price of cod.

Now a fish and chip owner is backing a campaign to help save Scotland’s fish and chip shops, warning shops are under threat of closure as costs continue to rise.

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Carlo Crolla, 47, owner of East Coast Fish & Chips, in Musselburgh, East Lothian, said business costs are forcing shops to put up prices in a bid to survive.

Carlo Crolla, owner of East Coast Fish & Chips, in Musselburgh, East Lothian, said business costs are forcing shops to put up prices in a bid to survive.

 Photo - Chris WattCarlo Crolla, owner of East Coast Fish & Chips, in Musselburgh, East Lothian, said business costs are forcing shops to put up prices in a bid to survive.

 Photo - Chris Watt
Carlo Crolla, owner of East Coast Fish & Chips, in Musselburgh, East Lothian, said business costs are forcing shops to put up prices in a bid to survive. Photo - Chris Watt

The owner, who’s family have served the community for 50 years, has teamed up with the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF) to raise awareness about the threat to businesses.

Mr Crolla said the price of fish has doubled, while energy bills have spiralled and cooking oil is more expensive than ever, leaving some fish and chips shops struggling for survival.

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The NFFF is urging the UK Government to reconsider its plan to increase VAT on food and soft drinks back from 12.5% to 20% in April which it said is an added concern for the industry.

A UK-wide campaign by the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF) has been launched to help save Scottish fish and chip shops under threat of closure.A UK-wide campaign by the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF) has been launched to help save Scottish fish and chip shops under threat of closure.
A UK-wide campaign by the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF) has been launched to help save Scottish fish and chip shops under threat of closure.
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Mr Crolla said: “By teaming up with the National Federation of Fish Friers, we hope to do our bit by encouraging people to support their local fish and chip shop around Scotland during these extremely challenging times.

“Our family has been proudly serving the local community with quality fish and chips for nearly 50 years, but the spiralling costs battering our industry is putting all that at risk.

“We won’t compromise on quality, but these external factors will inevitability mean a rise in costs for us and our customers.”

Some members of the NFFF have reported electricity bills going up from £400 to £2,000 a month.

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Meanwhile fish and chip shops have seen a 75% rise in the cost of cod since October, an 81% increase in the cost of haddock in the last year, a 120% rise in the cost of mushy peas and a 40% surge in the cost of batter.

Andrew Crook, president of the NFFF, said: “We are in unprecedented times where we are seeing high levels of inflation and food inflation is even higher.

“Most of the supplies we use in the fish and chip industry have increased drastically in price and we are expecting this to continue for some considerable time.

“Other products are simply not available, and we have seen suppliers move away from the sector

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“Fish and chips shops like East Coast in Musselburgh do feel the effect of these increases more than most cuisines as our margins are much tighter. The price of fish is comparable to steak in supermarkets.

“As a result of this, and our commitment to ensuring a high quality good value, good value product, we may regrettably be forced to review our prices to reflect the rising costs our industry is facing.”