Fish and chip shops hit by Labour

The days of the British chippie may be numbered after Labour’s plans to improve workers’ rights, owners fear.

Fish and chip shops are already under pressure from high energy costs and poor potato harvests, pushing up prices for customers.

Now an industry body is warning that one of Britain’s most popular institutions is a thing of the past.

Andrew Crook, who has owned Skippers in Euxton, Lancashire, for 17 years and is chairman of the National Federation of Fish Friers, has written to Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds warning that the “chances are slim” for fish and chip shops.

Crook is expanding with another branch called Oh My Cod in nearby Coppull, but says many of his fellow chippie owners are desperate.

“I get several calls a week from former successful entrepreneurs who are despondent because they are going from one problem to another. And they feel that the government is not interested in fully supporting small businesses,” the letter said. “There are many businesses for sale and we are seeing more and more closing because the owners feel it is just not worth it anymore and cannot find a buyer.” Crook said: “I fear that we are going to see an exodus of good entrepreneurs who provide good jobs.”

The letter comes after the Office for National Statistics revealed that the average price of a portion of fish and chips rose from £6.48 in July 2019 to £9.88 today.

Chippies are facing a storm of import duties on fish and a global surge in demand for seafood, particularly from the US, where buyers are keen on cod caught in the waters around Norway.

Extreme weather has also affected potato harvests across Europe, pushing up potato prices.

Some chip shop owners are also alarmed by Labour’s workers’ rights reform, spearheaded by Deputy First Minister Angela Rayner, which could give staff protection from unfair dismissal from day one, end zero-hours contracts and increase the minimum wage.

Stuart Devine, owner of Scottish fish and chip chain Ashvale, said: ‘If you put wages up, you have to put prices up. That’s a concern in a cost of living crisis.

‘The minimum wage has gone up far enough. Chip shops are not like posh restaurants. We can’t charge £30 for a meal.’

Crook called for Labour to adopt a “common sense” approach to workers’ rights, adding: “You have to protect workers from bad employers. But you also have to protect employers from bad workers.”