The average cost of a traditional fish supper has doubled from £6.48 in 2019 to £11.17, according to the Office for National Statistics, prompting a growing number of fish and chip shops to experiment with alternatives to cod and haddock. A barrage of pressures, from Brexit and dwindling fish quotas to pandemic inflation and wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, has sent cod prices soaring, leading to a shift in the nation's beloved takeaway.
Cod-Free Weeks and Menu Experiments
In late April, Harbour Lights in Falmouth, Cornwall, ran a "cod-free week," removing cod from its menu entirely. Owner Pete Fraser, who also owns shops in Penzance and Helston, replaced cod with coley, pollack, hake, and hoki. Unlike his first attempt 15 years ago, which was met with resistance, the recent experiment received positive feedback, with customers asking for it to be repeated. "Some of the feedback we had, which certainly wasn't what we got when we ran it years ago, is 'Can you repeat this?' Before, it was like, 'Have you guys lost your head'?" Fraser said.
Economic Pressures on Chippies
The wholesale price of cod has doubled in two years, coupled with rising costs of British potatoes and oil. Owners report regulars visiting less often and sharing meals. Hundreds of chippies are up for sale, and almost half of owners are "extremely worried" about the future, according to the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF). To cope, many operators are introducing cheaper fish options. At the Cod's Scallops in Nottingham, customers can choose monkfish, hake, plaice, and sea bass. Donington Fish and Chips in Lincolnshire offers hake and plaice. The Mayfair Chippy in London removed cod due to sustainability concerns, with co-owner Pete Taylor noting, "Some guests were surprised, but the response has been mostly positive."
Alternatives Gain Traction
Barry Young, managing director of Brixham Trawler Agents, says chippies are increasingly opting for hake, and "there is scope for a wider range of species to play a bigger role in the future." Fraser, who sells Cornish hake and sole, emphasizes that alternatives like coley and pollack cook and eat similarly to cod, as they are from the same fish family, and sell for £2 less. "There's no drop in the quality of fish, it's just the British are so entrenched. Over the Channel, they love variety," he said.
At Will's Plaice in Cromer, Norfolk, owner Will Watson introduced New Zealand hoki three months ago, priced at £12 with chips compared to £14.10 for cod. "Cod and haddock still make up 75-80% of sales, but those who try hoki often reorder," Watson said. He added, "We have fun with people who haven't heard of it, we start doing the hokey cokey."
Industry Outlook
Andrew Crook, president of the NFFF, said 95% of his sales at Skippers of Euxton in Lancashire are cod and haddock, but alternatives like hake, often imported from South Africa, have risen sharply in popularity. However, hoki comes from New Zealand and coley from Norway and Iceland, neither available in enough numbers to replace wild cod and haddock. Operators worry about further price hikes, with rumors of doubling again by year-end, which could drive more chippies to offer alternatives. Watson, opening a new shop in North Walsham, said, "What's the point of having something on the menu you can't make money on? If the wholesale price goes up more we'll have to take it off."
When Fraser removed cod 15 years ago, cod and haddock made up 90% of sales; now it's 75%. He remains optimistic: "Cod and haddock haven't had their day, they're both wonderful fish, there are still well-managed supplies of them. But people are gradually getting braver, which is great."
