NFFF President, Gregg Howard, will be appearing in the Channel 5 news studio tonight, and he’ll have one thing on his mind – potato shortages.

The adverse weather this year has had an immense impact on the price of potatoes – an impact as unfavourable as the climate.

Potato prices have been tremendously high – more than double the average for this time of the year – and they are expected to rise to £650 per tonne over the next few weeks. As the supply of stored, good quality potatoes diminish, so the prices are set to soar.

Some fish and chip shops will be hoping to import potatoes to help satisfy demand, although the recent cold weather may delay the arrival of the new crop as it is too cold to plant in many areas.

Rising costs, as well as VAT, have already been acknowledged by many fish and chip shops, so some may be forced to increase their prices to ensure they can continue to serve their local communities. 

It is recommended to minimise waste by preparing potatoes in the correct fashion, and not cooking more than is required. Buying top quality potatoes produce less waste and will yield more chips. 

John Wild from the Tarnbrook Chippie in Lancashire was available for comment. “In the late 1990s, I was paying about £13 for a bag of potatoes. This increase doesn’t look good.”

However, it is not all doom and gloom. Fish and chips shop chips still represent great value for money; the average chip portion hovers around the 8oz mark, compared to the large fast food outlets that use a 4oz portion. Another plus point is thicker-cut chips are better for you, too. And tastier.

Tune in tonight to watch Gregg, and post your comments on the NFFF Facebook and Twitter pages.