ladbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Brexit Could Be About To Make Fish And Chips More Pricey

Brexit Could Be About To Make Fish And Chips More Pricey

Oh my cod.

James Dawson

James Dawson

Image Caption: TheLADbible is unable to confirm whether this photo was taken as part of a pro-Brexit run on fish and chip

It's hard to think of anything more quintessentially British than fish and chip, although it's probably worth recognising fried fish was first brought to England by Spanish Jews, so it's always been more European than we might usually imagine.

But, despite it being something we all think of as being 'British', the Metro has reported that independent fishmongers and chippies could lose out as a result of Brexit - and that it could mean fish and chips are about to get more expensive.

Why? Because most fish eaten by Brits are imported, and the fall of the pound to a 31-year low following the EU referendum means it has become a lot more expensive for sellers to buy.

This all means that the cod and haddock sold in Britain's 10,500 shops could be about to get pricier.

Fuck that.

(NOTE TO READER: AT THIS POINT IN WRITING THE PIECE THE AUTHOR REMEMBERED AN INCIDENT THAT HAD HAPPENED OVER THE WEEKEND AND FELT IT NECESSARY TO DIGRESS) I paid £6.39 for fish and chips on Saturday and although I was pleased my local chippie has recently begun stocking curry sauce in both 'standard' and 'hot' spiciness, the pleasure of eating it was not worth paying over six quid. To put that into context, that's almost as expensive as a Pizza Hut buffet (£6.99). That's unlimited pizza. Unlimited pizza is not of the same value and worth as fish and chips. That's absolutely ridiculous! 'Cheap as chips?' - I think not. And now they're saying they're going to put the price up further. This was the smallest meal deal they had available - the large one was upwards of £8. I can't just be being an ungrateful consumer here - because I swear back home in Leeds you can get fish and chips for under a fiver. That's fair enough, I'll pay a fiver - but come on lads, we'll be getting nearer to a tenner soon! Sort it out lads.

But, as I was saying, the consequences of Brexit for independent dealers could be brutal, especially as supermarkets have long-term supply contracts that will shield them from market volatility.

Gary Hooper, owner of GCH Fishmongers in Bedford, told the Metro: "We tried to buy some shellfish this morning and our suppliers advised us to buy now because the price is going to go up. If I had a big freezer I'd buy it now.

Many British fishermen supported Brexit in the lead up to the referendum, as they hoped it would free them from strict EU fishing quotas.

However, most of the fish eaten in the UK is imported from Norway and Iceland, and much of the domestic catch is exported - which means fish eaten domestically could go up in price.

Which is a worry for anyone who agree £6.39 is already a step too far.

Words by James Dawson

Image Credit: PA Images

Featured Image Credit:

Topics: brexit

Choose your content: