OWNERS of fish and chip shops across Newport have spoken of their struggle to survive amid a sharp rise in the cost of ingedients.
The current cost of living crisis has pushed up the price of the most basic commodities including oil, flour, fish and even packaging - leaving shop owners with little choice but to increase the price of a portion on fish and chips.
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Alan Edwards, Owner of Vacara’s fish and chip shop in Llanarth Street, says that while the war in Ukraine and rocketing inflation continues, local traders will suffer.
Vacara's fish and chip shop in city centre, worries about future
He said: “For us it's packaging. Since the pandemic packaging has doubled in price, with oil prices going up 300 per cent.
“In April we lost all the help from the government sources, and we also got hammered with 20 per cent VAT coming back, that was the killer.
“I put my prices up in April and I haven’t touched them since. If you put them up too much you wont get any trade. Takeaways have already closed because of energy its extremely difficult.
“My basic chips has been £2 for the past six years; I’ve had to put them up by 50p just to cover VAT.
“It's very difficult to make money due to the rising energy costs, we are hoping somebody can sort out this war as if they don’t and we have another year like this I don’t know who will survive.”
Vacaras fish prices are seperate to chips. A medium fish is £6, with medium chips at £4. To make it a meal it would cost £10 to buy fish and chips combined.
A large fish is £8, with large chips priced at £5, costing £13 in total.
The price of items such as fish are doubling because of cost of living crisis
Cihan Carcabuk, manager at CBK fish bar on Corporation Road, has already had to put prices up because of the cost of living, and now he faces putting them up again.
“I put my prices up three months ago and now I probably will have to put them up again," he said. "Fish prices are doubling and have done from £140 to £240 a box.
“I’m slowly creeping up my prices and the profit is way less because everything has double or tripled in price. Oil prices have gone up, it was £10.99 and now it's £26 a patch, it jumped up by £15.
“My large fish and chips are currently priced at £8.30; I will probably have to put it up by 50p as if you put it up too much it will have impact on customers.”
CBK fish bar charge for fish and chips as a meal with small cod and chips costing £7.30, while a large fish and chips costs £8.30.
The price of fish and chips could rise up to ten pound because cost of living crisis costs
Other chip shops in Newport are worried that they may have to compete with other businesses in their area on price
Victor's Fish Bar in Commercial Road is also struggling due to living costs.
The chip shop charges £3.50 for fish and chips.
A spokesman said: “I am worried that I may have to put my prices up as everything is so expensive there is no money coming in on my end.
“Oil is expensive, and the bills have gone up. I put my prices up by 50p which is not enough as my prices are very cheap, but I do compare other shops and how much they put their prices up.”
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