Wholesale haddock prices are up 53.8% year-on-year to £1,474 a tonne, plaice is up 51.2% to £1,246 and whiting has risen 44.2% to £1,675, according to The Grocer.
Fresh fish prices have shot up after storms left trawlermen high and dry – and shortages could add 10% to a portion of haddock and chips.
Customers could end up paying 35p more on average for a fish supper, according to a report that says wholesale prices have risen by as much as 50% year on year.
The recent stretch of appalling weather has “exaggerated the price of fresh fish”, the National Federation of Fishmongers warned.
Wholesale haddock prices are up 53.8% year-on-year to £1,474 a tonne, plaice is up 51.2% to £1,246 and whiting has risen 44.2% to £1,675, according to research by trade magazine The Grocer.
Industry body Seafish’s technical director Tom Pickerell said: “Businesses like restaurants and independent fishmongers who use fresh fish will feel the rise but it will even out very quickly as stock levels go back up to normal again.”
But restaurants, fishmongers and fresh fish suppliers will still pass on a rise of around 10% to customers.
So, with the cost of fresh haddock at an average of around £3.50 from a chippie, customers could see the cost of the dish leap.
National Federation of Fishmongers President Jonathan Adams said: “The price of fish is always affected by the weather, but when it goes up, consumers must expect to pay as much as 10% more.”
And Martyn Boyers, chief executive at Grimsby Fish Market, agreed: “The weather always impacts on the price of fish and haddock prices have gone up.”
But he said families can expect to pay just 20p more for fresh haddock.
In the West Country, one port actually managed to beat shortages and land more fish during the bad weather.
Trawlers at Brixham, in Devon – which is more sheltered than rival ports – managed to increase the number of fishing trips and earn a higher premium for the fish caught during the storms.
One bit of good news for customers is that cod prices have fallen by 7.9% year-on-year to £939 a tonne.
So Britain hasn’t had its chips just yet.