Britain’s national dish is under threat. Breading, frying fat, fish – everything has become more expensive as a result of the war. Many fish and chip shops are now struggling to survive. Now Norway should help the dealers out of their misery.

England’s cult street food is in bad shape. The fish and chips are currently going through a difficult time. Many snack bar owners fear for the future of their shops, there is talk of an imminent wave of bankruptcies. According to estimates by the National Federation of Fish Friers, a third of fish and chip shops could soon close their doors forever. The ingredients are simply missing. The war in Ukraine is to blame for the national court’s predicament. Now fish from Norway should bring the rescue.

The operators of fish and chip shops have been complaining about the price increases for several weeks. So far, the snack bar operators have sourced around half of the sunflower oil they use for frying from Russia or the Ukraine. Much of the flour used for the breading also came from Ukraine. In addition, there is an enormous increase in energy costs. And then there’s the matter of the fish. Because even that is not only pulled from the sea by British fishermen. About 40 percent of the fish used to come from Russia.

Lots of fish from Russia in the Fish’n’Chips

This dependency on the fish supplier is now getting the snack bars into trouble. “We are anticipating a 35 per cent tariff on Russian whitefish, which will drive up the price of all fish. We cannot be so dependent on supplies from a single region,” Andrew Crook of the National Federation of Fish Friers, the industry body, told the PA news agency . Retailers need to rethink if they want to survive the crisis.

Fish and chips retailers are now looking towards Scandinavia. More fish will be imported from Norway in the future. He hopes Norwegian farms can produce fish fillets for UK fish-and-chips farms in order to “control as much as possible” the rising prices, Crook said. On Wednesday he wants to take part in an industry meeting in Norway and promote his home market.

Previously, the industry association had already campaigned with the British government for a further reduction in the VAT rate for the catering trade, as already happened during the pandemic. Currently, 20 percent VAT is due again on prepared food in Great Britain. “Without changes, many good employers will have to fight to survive,” said Crook, who himself runs a fish-and-chips shop in mid-May, to “Dpa”. He is currently not making any profit, said the entrepreneur.