Chip shops are being forced to take cod off the menu amid soaring prices, fueling fears the fish could disappear from traditional takeaways for good. Turan Tunc, who runs Joseph's Fish & Chips in Bermondsey, southeast London, now only offers cod from Thursday to Saturday. He said in April last year Scottish cod was £16.50 per kilo, or £180 per box. This year, in April, the same fish rose to £28 per kilo and £336 a box.
Mayfair Chippy removes cod
Elsewhere in London, the Mayfair Chippy, which boasts Michelin Guide accreditation and a 1AA Rosette, has removed cod completely, replacing it with hake. Shop owners there said the decision was made primarily due to sustainability issues, but cost was also a contributing factor.
Mr Tunc, 52, who learned his trade working in his late father Joseph Tunc's kebab shops across the capital, said the decline of shops selling cod should be a warning sign. He said: "It could be the death of the classic cod and chips if prices keep going up. It's desperate times in the industry. Some have stopped selling cod already. We are hoping prices will go back down. We've seen a price rise of nearly a hundred per cent in just one year."
Mr Tunc explained that the price of cod went "crazy" following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Sanctions prohibited the purchase of Russian goods, though fish still finds its way into the UK indirectly, via other countries like China.
Substitution concerns
Mr Tunc says rises in the price of cod have led proprietors to seek out cheaper alternatives like coley, ling or even catfish. However, many fish and chip shops don't make this known to customers or simply pass the lesser fish, which are often frozen at sea, off as cod, he claims. "A lot of people will use other fish and just call it cod," Mr Tunc continued. "Some people might be selling haddock as cod because it's desperate times. To survive, you have to go through the cheaper stuff."
Cod prices have been gradually rising for years. Mr Tunc has stopped using cod on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. He only uses fresh fish and refuses to touch frozen fish. He said: "It is cheaper; I just prefer fresh fish over fish frozen at sea a year ago."
Mr Tunc encourages customers to visit his website, where he transparently explains what fish he buys and why. He hopes to highlight the financial pressures. He said: "We struggle. There are weeks when I don't pay myself or don't pay my wife. The bottom has come off of this business. For me, if it continues, cod is coming off the menu. Customers don't understand why prices are going up, but some places have stopped selling cod already."
Quality vs. price
Mr Tunc added: "How far can you go with the prices? I don't want to lose the quality. If you sell fish and chips for a tenner, the portion size is going to be really small. I love fish and chips, but the quality of these working-class foods is dropping. I've tried the alternative, sustainable fish, but they're not selling. People want the best, and that's cod and chips. But it's no longer a cheap, working-class food."
Difficulties in the industry are forcing some chippies to offer additional menu items like kebabs. A small fish and chips with homemade tartare sauce, homemade pickled onions and a lemon wedge at Joseph's currently costs £12.50, while lunch deals are £6.50 each.
Mayfair Chippy's perspective
Several miles away, The Mayfair Chippy has made a similar move, replacing cod with hake. Pete Taylor, one of the owners, said: "At The Mayfair Chippy, the decision to remove cod from the menu was driven primarily by sustainability concerns and the ongoing overfishing crisis, rather than cost alone. As a seafood-led restaurant, we take sustainability very seriously and always consider the long-term impact of our sourcing decisions."
Cod prices have almost doubled in recent years due to reduced stock availability, fishing quotas, supply chain pressures, rising fuel costs, and increased global demand. Taylor said: "These challenges have had a noticeable impact across the wider fish and chip industry. While we would absolutely hope to bring cod back to the menu in the future, any decision would be based on the sustainability and availability of the product, rather than price alone. It's important that we continue to source responsibly and protect the long-term future of the industry."
Taylor added: "We would hope that cod and chips never disappears as a classic British dish, although the industry is undoubtedly facing real pressures. At The Mayfair Chippy, quality will always remain at the centre of what we do. We would never compromise on the quality of our fish, as our brand has always been built around premium ingredients, consistency, and delivering value for money to our guests."
