The industry has been battered by soaring costs and a loss of popularity among younger foodies coming through the door, citing health issues associated with deep-fried foods
Fish and chip shop owners have vowed they’ll “never die out” because the traditional British dish is so “pure and great”.
The industry has been battered by soaring costs and a loss of popularity among younger foodies coming through the door, citing health issues associated with deep-fried foods.
According to research carried out by the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF), 47% of chippies across the UK feel “extremely worried” about the future of their business and a further 30% were “slightly worried”. There are still 7,000-8,000 chip shops in Britain, down from a peak of 25,000 in the 1930s, but the number of outlets and servings are shrinking weekly.
However, the industry is not completely written off yet with cod and haddock quotas expected to increase 10% next year which could help reduce prices.
And the UK government is facing increasing pressure to deal with the VAT problems plaguing the hospitality industry to give chippies a much-needed financial boost.
Brothers Aman and Gavin Dhesi, 37 and 33, founded The Scrap Box chip shop outside York 12 years ago and won best takeaway at this year’s NFFF’s National Fish and Chip Awards.
The duo said they started the business on a whim and said there’s no secret formula for success apart from doing it simply and doing it well – just lightly seasoned fish, batter made with flour and water and a natural bit of colouring with nothing artificial added.
Aman said of the industry: “I do think the better shops will survive and prosper. But it’s never going to die out.” Gavin agreed and told The Guardian: “I think we need to hark back to how pure a dish it is; how great it is. And, when you think about it, for where it’s come from and the work that’s gone into it, it’s still a bargain.”