Chip portions to shrink AND get more expensive due to dry summer
A trip to the chippy could end up costing Brits 66 per cent more if shop owners have to push the rising price of potatoes onto customers
CHIP portions are set to get smaller and more expensive after experts warn that there is a potato shortage on the horizon.
A trip to the chippy could end up costing Brits 66 per cent more if shop owners have to push the rising price of the vegetable onto customers, the National Federation of Fish Fryers has warned.
Brits chomp on 380million portions of fish and chips a year, according to the NFFF, but we could soon start feeling the pinch.
The price of potatoes has already doubled since last year, with a 25kg sack - which has enough for about 40 portions of chips - costing £12 up from £6, reports the .
The extreme weather this year created dire conditions for British spuds, with sub-zero temperatures in February and a heatwave in the summer months.
Now, the NFFF president Andrew Cook is warning that the price could go up by another two thirds to £20 a sack.
Here's how to cut the cost of your grocery shop
SAVING on your shop can make a big difference to your wallet. Here are some tips from Hannah Maundrell, editor of Money.co.uk, about how you can cut the cost of your shopping bills:
- Write yourself a list – Only buy items that you need. If it isn’t on your list, don’t put it in the trolley
- Create a budget – Work out a weekly budget for your food shopping
- Never shop hungry – you are far more likely to buy more food if your tummy is rumbling
- Don’t buy pre-chopped veggies or fruit – The extra they’ll charge for chopping can be eye watering
- Use social media – follow your favourite retailers to find out about the latest deals
- Be disloyal – You may want to go to different stores to find the best bargains
- Check the small print – It’s always worth checking the price per kg/lb/litre when comparing offers so you’re making a like for like decision as a bigger box won’t necessarily mean you get more
- Use your loyalty cards – Don’t be afraid to sign up to them all. They all work slightly differently – work out what bonus suits you better and remember to trade in your points for additional rewards
He said: "We have to cover our costs. Prices will go up and many will reduce the size of a portion. A lot of small shops will probably sell up."
The Lancashire chip shop owner has said that he's already had to up the prices of a portion of fish and chips by 10p each, hiking prices to £4.20 for cod and £1.90 for chips.
The UK is unlikely to be able to plug the gap with potatoes imported from northern Europe as it has also had a poor harvest.
Brits have enjoyed large portion sizes since a drought in 1976 caused potato prices to soar causing many chip shops to close for weeks on end.
When they reopened, they sold bumper packs to entice customers back to the chippies.
In July we reported how a crisp shortage was looming, as farmers struggled to keep their crops irrigated during the heatwave.
They're not the only crop to be hit hard by the weather, as growers are also warning about a national pea shortage, while the amount of carrots Brits produce this year could drop by a third.
Worringly, the veggie shortages is putting the great British roast at threat.
But some crops have thrived in the sunnier climates like strawberries, which enabled Aldi to sell massive cheap 1kg tubs of the fruit for £2.95.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Money team? Email us at money@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 78 24516. Don't forget to join the for the latest bargains and money-saving advice.