GRANADA FISH BAR’S DOUBLE STRIKE!
April 11, 2013THREE IN A BAG FOR ELITE FISH AND CHIPS CO
April 17, 2013
WE’LL CONTINUE TO BE CHEAP AS CHIPS, SAYS TOP WHITBY FISH AND CHIP SHOP, DESPITE THE SOAR IN SPUD PRICES
The hike in the price of British potatoes – which has seen it almost double over the last year thanks to poor weather – won’t be passed on to chip-loving customers, says Whitby’s award-winning Quayside fish and chip shop and restaurant.
With one of the wettest and coldest springs on record leading to the lowest potato yields since 1976 (some 20 per cent lower than 2012), the price of an average bag of potatoes for UK fish and chip shops has more than trebled, from £3.50 to £12.50 in the last year.
But family-run fish and chip shop Quayside, based on the Whitby harbour, says despite the massive hike in prices, customers will not see a comparable increase in their favourite seaside staple passed on to them and become more expensive.
“If we put the price of our chips up every time the price of potatoes went up, our customers wouldn’t come back,” says Stuart Fusco, frier manager and director at Quayside, which was voted number one chip shop in Yorkshire and the Northeast in the Seafish Awards. “It’s been a tough year for the potato industry – and in turn this has an affect on our business – but fish and chips are supposed to be an affordable treat, and many of the families that come to us are on a tight budget, which is why our chips have only increased by 15p. Our customers are so important to us and we’re committed to continuing to give them a fresh, delicious meal at a good value price.”
It’s a worthy commitment by Quayside given the fact that March saw the largest month-on-month rise in the price of fresh food for three years, according to the British Retail Consortium. The harbourside fish and chip shop, part of the independent Fusco’s of Whitby family chain, has always sourced local, Maris Piper potatoes.
“The British Maris Piper crop has been very bad this year but we will do our best to continue to source locally. We may have to use a different variety this year but we won’t compromise on the quality of our chips, which we fry the traditional way in beef dripping – or on the price,” adds Stuart.
