Stories

Fri, 10 Jul 2026

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 Why has the price of fish and chips gone up?

One Dorset fish and chip shop says VAT, the war in Ukraine and energy prices are pushing up costs.
The average price of fish and chips has risen to £11.41, according to a new report. This increase is due to rising costs of haddock and energy prices affecting the industry. A chip shop owner in Dorset, Jon Long, charges around £12 for a regular-sized portion of cod and chips, with £2 going towards VAT. The cost of food itself accounts for 35% of the price, or around £3.50 to £4, depending on the type of fish used. Labour costs make up 40% of the price, so around £4 is spent on staffing. After paying for food, staff wages, packaging, gas and electricity, there is about £2 left over, which covers reinvestment in the business and provides Long with his income. The war in Ukraine and pandemic-related issues have contributed to rising costs, particularly energy prices. Some fish and chip shops have turned to using more unfamiliar species of fish due to increasing costs. The UK's fishing industry has also been affected by a tariff imposed on imported fish following Russia's involvement in the Ukrainian conflict. According to Seafish, there are around 7,210 fish and chip shops operating across the UK. Jon Long believes that despite challenges, there is still a future for the fish and chip industry if costs can be managed well. He recently reopened another fish and chip shop in Wareham, which was closed in November, with his son's involvement helping to revitalize the business.