Bruce, whose boat, Budding Rose, is based in the Scottish port of Peterhead, estimates the extra costs over a year could exceed \u00a3100,000.<\/p>\n
It was not yet clear whether the rise in energy prices would have an immediate effect on the price of fish, Bruce said. But he is worried that the hike in fuel prices will hit customer demand for the classic British meal that was already facing challenges on numerous fronts.<\/p>\n
Bruce\u2019s catch is sold at auction in Peterhead before being transported around Britain and abroad. He fears that customers \u201cwill stop buying so much fish and chips and they\u2019ll stop going out for meals so much\u201d.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Classic dish<\/h2>\nThe classic recipe for fish and chips \u2014 white fish deep-fried in batter, chips, and mushy peas, often with tartare sauce on the side \u2014 dates back to the 1860s.<\/p>\n
Fish and chip shops usually serve nothing else and most are takeaway.<\/p>\n\n![\"](\"https:\/\/i.dawn.com\/primary\/2026\/04\/05145020cf0aeb0.webp\")
<\/div>A portion of fish and chips from a fish and chip shop is pictured on a plate in Manchester, Britain on May 18, 2022. \u2014 Reuters\/File<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThere were around 10,500 fish and chip shops in the UK in 2024 \u2014 roughly the same as a decade earlier \u2014 according to Seafish, a public body supporting the industry.<\/p>\n
This was more than the total number of outlets of the nine main fast-food dining brands \u2014 including KFC, McDonald\u2019s and Domino\u2019s Pizza, it boasted.<\/p>\n
Easter is a particularly busy time for the sector since many Britons eat fish on the Good Friday holiday.<\/p>\n
Andrew Crook, who owns a fish and chip shop in Lancashire, northwestern England, told AFP<\/em> the number of customers can more than double on Good Fridays.<\/p>\nNonetheless, \u201cwe\u2019re definitely under pressure\u201d, said Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish Fryers.<\/p>\n
He blamed several factors.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got extremely high fish prices, we\u2019ve got energy prices; wages go up continually,\u201d he lamented.<\/p>\n
The war in the Middle East, now in its second month, caused a record monthly rise in petrol and diesel prices in the United Kingdom in March was caused by the conflict, according to data from the Royal Automobile Club (RAC), a British auto services company.<\/p>\n
But there are other difficulties.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Oil, fertiliser<\/h2>\nStricter fishing rules to conserve species, as well as the war in Ukraine \u2014 Russia previously supplied 30 to 40 per cent of the country\u2019s fish \u2014 had weakened the sector in Britain already, says Crook, and forced it to raise prices.<\/p>\n
Another concern is the soaring price of fertilisers and its impact on the production of potatoes and oil seeds.<\/p>\n
<\/div>There were around 10,500 fish and chip shops in the UK in 2024 \u2014 roughly the same as a decade earlier \u2014 according to Seafish, a public body supporting the industry.<\/p>\n
This was more than the total number of outlets of the nine main fast-food dining brands \u2014 including KFC, McDonald\u2019s and Domino\u2019s Pizza, it boasted.<\/p>\n
Easter is a particularly busy time for the sector since many Britons eat fish on the Good Friday holiday.<\/p>\n
Andrew Crook, who owns a fish and chip shop in Lancashire, northwestern England, told AFP<\/em> the number of customers can more than double on Good Fridays.<\/p>\n Nonetheless, \u201cwe\u2019re definitely under pressure\u201d, said Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish Fryers.<\/p>\n He blamed several factors.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got extremely high fish prices, we\u2019ve got energy prices; wages go up continually,\u201d he lamented.<\/p>\n The war in the Middle East, now in its second month, caused a record monthly rise in petrol and diesel prices in the United Kingdom in March was caused by the conflict, according to data from the Royal Automobile Club (RAC), a British auto services company.<\/p>\n But there are other difficulties.<\/p>\n Stricter fishing rules to conserve species, as well as the war in Ukraine \u2014 Russia previously supplied 30 to 40 per cent of the country\u2019s fish \u2014 had weakened the sector in Britain already, says Crook, and forced it to raise prices.<\/p>\n Another concern is the soaring price of fertilisers and its impact on the production of potatoes and oil seeds.<\/p>\n<\/a>Oil, fertiliser<\/h2>\n