Fish and Chip Shop Adopts Self-Service Tills Due to Price Rise Queries
A fish and chip shop owner has announced plans to install self-service tills to shield staff from customers who ask "abrupt" questions about recent price increases.
Rhys McLoughlin, co-owner of Môr Ffres in Dinas Cross, Pembrokeshire, explained that there were "lots of questions being asked" and he believed many customers did not fully grasp that "incoming prices are going up and up".
"We have no control over that, so either we work [for] no money, or we follow the price increase and, unfortunately, we have to pass it on,"
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the average price of takeaway fish and chips rose to £11.17 in March. This is a significant increase from the £6.48 average cost recorded in 2019.
The National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF) stated that rising prices have "affected frequency of visits and footfall" in "the majority of [fish and chip] shops".
McLoughlin added,
"The word on the street is cod could actually double in price by September,"
"That would just be unfeasible for us to even entertain selling it because, ultimately, it's cod and chips. It's not a fillet steak.
"National minimum wage has gone up, oil is going up, the price of fuel,"
He also expressed concern that potato costs might rise due to increased diesel prices.
"If these prices continue to go up, who's going to buy fish and chips for £21? Who can afford that?"
McLoughlin said the self-service digital kiosks would allow customers to place and pay for their orders independently. He noted that the shop is relatively small and becomes quite busy during summer months.
However, the decision was also influenced by the pressure his staff faced regarding pricing questions.
"With prices, there's a lot of questions being asked,"
"We have got young staff working here and at the end of the day, sometimes this is their first port of business, this is their first stepping stone out of school."
"It's no fun for a boy or girl to come to work to be asked, not abused, but asked pretty abrupt questions on the spot with 20 people in the chip shop.
"We have actually lost a few members of staff through that."
Challenges in Maintaining Affordable Prices
Sy Crockford, owner of Marina Fish & Chips in Saundersfoot, described the difficulty in offering the traditional seaside dish at affordable prices.
"Fish alone, we've never seen anything like it. Cod alone has gone up 50%,"
He emphasized the importance of not pricing fish and chips out of reach, stating,
"One thing we don't want to do is out-price fish and chips. It's a nostalgia, it's a romance, to come to the beach and have fish and chips, we definitely don't want to outprice."
Crockford noted that cod and haddock are becoming "a luxury not a necessity," and suggested that offering "more sustainable" fish options at a budget-friendly price could lead to changes in chip shop menus.
However, customer openness to trying different fish varieties remains uncertain.
Nicola Bratherton, 54, visiting Saundersfoot from Northampton, said she "generally would stick to cod" as she is "not that experimental."
Pauline Webb, 71, holidaying from the Midlands, remarked,
"I have realised that [the price] has gone up, but of course, everything is going up. I know fish has gone up tremendously."
Rural Chip Shops Also Face Price Pressures
Beyond the seaside, chip shops in rural villages are also struggling to justify their prices.
Sioned Phillips, owner of Cegin-24 in Crymych, Pembrokeshire, shared her experience with rising cod prices.
"About a year and a half ago I was paying about £36 a box [of cod],"
"Now you're paying between £50, and some places £60, a box for cod."
She has had to increase her prices accordingly.
"When I opened, it was £6.95 for a piece of cod. I've had to raise it to £9, and that's being quite reasonable.
"If I wanted to make a normal amount of profit that I should be making, it should be about £11-£12 for a piece of cod.
"For me, we're in such a rural community area here in Crymych, to justify charging your elderly people, your local people so much for a piece of cod is just absolutely ridiculous."
Despite attempts to offer alternative fish options, Phillips noted customer loyalty to cod remains strong.
"We were telling them, look, the haddock is cheaper and it's bigger and they were like, 'no, we still want the cod, it's fine'.
"But you can see where people are trying to save money. They will order less chips.
"They'll order two cods and one chips to share, I think that's their way of trying to save their money."
Factors Behind Price Increases
The NFFF attributed cod price increases primarily to reductions in fishing quotas.
A spokesperson explained,
"The reduction in the cod quota in the Barents Sea from 1m tonnes in 2019 to 285k tonnes this year, a 16% reduction compared to 2025"
"Sanctions on Russian fish also play a part in the increased price,"
Andrew Crook, NFFF president, commented,
"The majority understand that fish is a premium protein and therefore should not be cheap and are happy to pay for quality, but it has affected frequency of visits and footfall in general in the majority of shops."
He recommended that shops monitor portion sizes closely and consider alternative fish species.
