in the UK, restaurateurs are worried about their famous fish and chips

There’s no shortage of British potatoes tumbling through the French fries cutting machine. In the kitchen at Olley’s, a restaurant renowned in south London for its famous fish and chips, a typical dish of English gastronomy, the team prepares for the arrival of customers.

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Harry Niazi, the dynamic boss, has plenty of plans despite the permanent and unpredictable complications: Brexit, Covid-19, and now the war in Ukraine which affects his business. “Oil, cooking oil, big problem!he blurts out. It comes from Ukraine, they supply 80% of the needs here and in Europe. Since they no longer produce, the stocks go down and the price goes up. It’s very difficult.”

“Prices have gone up by 20% but it’s the availability that terrifies me. If there’s no oil, how do I cook my fish?”

Harry Niazi, owner of Olley’s restaurant

at franceinfo

In the baths of boiling sunflower oil, for the time being well filled, the chef places cod covered in breadcrumbs. Usually around 30-40% of the stock is bought from Russian fishermen, but these suppliers are hit with the sanctions. Harry can no longer count on their catches.

“It’s a casual pleasure”, confides this regular customer, a grease-stained cardboard box in his hand. He leaves to enjoy his weekly fish and chips at home. “But I don’t like the idea of ​​eating cod imported from Russia of course. There is food for thought.”

Breaded fish, fries, tartar sauce: this traditional dish has been delighting the English for 250 years. “It’s healthy, I love fish and chips!”, rejoices this other customer. But it’s also because it’s a cheap meal, and if commodity prices go up, customers are going to have to pay more. To which this gentleman retorts: “I don’t want any price hikes, it’s never good.”

This crisis comes on top of skyrocketing fuel and energy costs in the UK. The national federation of fried fish sellers estimates that 3,000 of the country’s 10,000 shops are at risk of disappearing before the end of the year.