A chip shop in Gloucestershire has apologised to customers after being forced to raise its prices due to soaring fish costs.
The Nippy Chippy in Stonehouse has seen the cost of fish surge by more than 60 per cent in just three months.
And punters looking for a fish supper have had to pay the price - with a large cod now costing £12.50, and haddock priced at £10.
Manager Brad Lee said customers had mostly been polite about the increase but noted there had been "a few shocked faces" at the till.
The Nippy Chippy in Stonehouse has seen the cost of fish surge by more than 60 per cent in just three months
Suppliers have pointed to reduced fishing quotas in the North Sea as the cause of the wholesale price surge.
The Government, however, has claimed that this year's deal - negotiated annually between the UK, EU and Norway - maintains sustainable stock levels.
This year, there is a cap of 25,028 tonnes on cod, a 20 per cent drop compared to last year.
The haddock limit stands at 112,400 tonnes, down 5 per cent from 2024's catch limit.
Lee said attempts to find substitutes for traditional fish had not been successful.
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Manager Brad Lee said there had been 'a few shocked faces' at the till over the new prices (file photo)
PA
"We've tried different types of white fish but we've not had that good feedback on them," he said.
"If you get cod, you know what you're getting, it's nice and tasty, it's fluffy, and then when you've got the batter over it it makes nice and flaky."
"Once you explain what's actually happening, people are understanding," he said.
"Fish and chips is a Friday night treat mainly, it's still the number one eaten thing in the UK. There is a crazy amount that we eat as a nation."
Andrew Crook from the National Federation of Fish Fryers explained the quotas are set by scientists who analyse the catch - and warned that the current one may last two years.
Suppliers have pointed to reduced fishing quotas in the North Sea as the cause of the wholesale price surge (file photo)
PA
"They think then maybe the quota will increase and things will get a bit more normal," he said. "But it's certainly a challenge at the moment."
After this year's fishing quotas were agreed, Minister of State for Food Security and Rural Affairs Daniel Zeichner defended the Government's position.
"This Government will always stand up for the British fishing industry, which is the lifeblood of so many communities around our coastline," he said.
"I'm pleased to have secured a deal providing the UK fleet quota for stocks including cod and haddock worth up to £310million, while maintaining sustainable levels of stocks for the long-term health of our industry."
