From Inexpensive Supper to Splurge: How Fish and Chips Went from Working-Class Staple to Luxury Treat

There was a time, not so long ago, when fish and chips was the humble, reliable favourite of the British working class. 

It was warming, filling, and cheap enough to feed a family on a Friday night or after a long shift at the docks, mines, mills or steelworks.

So important was fish and chips to the morale of the nation that it was famously the only foodstuff not rationed during the Second World War, a status shared by very few foodstuffs. 

But fast forward to 2025, and fish and chips are more likely to be a special treat than a regular meal. With prices soaring, what was once a pocket-money supper now feels like a minor indulgence.

Wartime Comfort, Post-war Tradition

Fish and chips have long held a symbolic place in British food culture. Cod and haddock, deep fried in crispy batter and served with thick-cut chips, were a reassuring constant through turbulent times. During WW2, they were spared rationing to keep public spirits up. Queues outside chippies often snaked down the street, and even Winston Churchill is said to have praised the dish for keeping the nation fed and focused.

After the war, the dish remained a staple, especially in working-class households. It was fast, affordable, and satisfying – a taste of continuity amid the rubble of austerity Britain. Even into the 1980s and early 90s, the chippy tea remained a mainstay of British life.

So What Changed?

Several factors have contributed to the transformation of fish and chips from everyday meal to occasional luxury:

1. Rising Costs of Ingredients

The most obvious culprit is price. Cod and haddock stocks have been under pressure for years, with sustainable fishing quotas tightening supply. Add to that Brexit-related complications in sourcing fish from European waters and rising fuel costs for trawlers, and the cost of fish has skyrocketed.

Potatoes, too, have seen dramatic increases in cost due to extreme weather patterns, labour shortages, and transport issues. And let’s not forget cooking oil – a once-cheap commodity now subject to global price volatility.

2. Energy and Labour Costs

Running a fish and chip shop is energy-intensive. The fryers require constant high heat, and in an age of surging energy bills, that’s a serious expense. Meanwhile, recruitment difficulties and the rising minimum wage have added labour costs to the mix, particularly for small, independent shops.

3. Changing Tastes and Expectations

Today’s diners expect more than just a paper-wrapped portion. Many chippies now offer sit-in dining, artisan sauces, ethically sourced ingredients, and craft beer pairings. 

The trend towards “posh” fish and chips has elevated the product – but also the price tag. You can now pay at least £15–£20 for a portion that might have cost £4 only twenty years ago.

4. Sustainability and Sourcing

Consumers are increasingly concerned with where their food comes from. Sustainable sourcing is vital – but it comes at a premium. Certified sustainable fish costs more, and many shops now avoid species like cod in favour of more abundant alternatives, sometimes with mixed reactions from traditionalists.

The Emotional Price of Nostalgia

It’s not just the monetary cost that’s changed – it’s the cultural shift. Fish and chips used to be democratic: the same meal, wrapped in the same paper, whether you were in Birmingham or Blackpool. Today, that sense of shared experience has faded. While some towns still boast old-school chippies with vinegar-soaked counters and mushy peas in Styrofoam tubs, many have closed or reinvented themselves as upmarket eateries.

For older generations, this shift feels like a loss. For younger ones, fish and chips might be more of a seaside novelty than a weekly staple.

A Future for the Chippy?

There is still hope for the great British chippy. Some are leaning into tradition, others into reinvention. Community support, sustainability efforts, and clever marketing (think themed nights, vegan options, or nostalgic promotions) are helping some shops to survive, even thrive.

But the era of fish and chips as a cheap, everyday meal is, for the most part, behind us. What remains is the flavour of history: a reminder of resilience, of working-class pride, and of how something simple can mean so much.

What are your memories of fish and chips? Have prices in your area shot up recently? Do you still indulge? Let us know in the comments – and support your local chippy!

Soaring food prices having a detrimental impact on mental health, Which? reveals

Soaring food prices are having a detrimental impact on the mental health of shoppers and families across the UK, new research from Which? suggests.

The increasing prices of everyday groceries has worsened the mental health of one in four (25%) people, according to a new survey from the consumer champion Which? also finds rising food costs are causing a negative impact on sleep, diet and overall physical health.

When coming to mental health, some groups were more impacted than others. Three in 10 (30%) women told Which? their mental health had worsened as a result of soaring food prices.

A third of people aged 35 to 54, those most likely to be parents of young families, revealed food costs had a negative impact on their mental health. They were more likely to be negatively affected than those aged 18-35 (27%) and over 55 (18%). One person told Which?: “It’s a black cloud that never goes away” another said; “I’m living day to day”.

The alarming findings come as the price of the weekly shop is set to replace energy bills as the main worry for most households according to Which?’s most recent Consumer Insight tracker- and as MPs prepare to grill supermarket bosses over allegations of profiteering during the cost of living crisis.

The Which? survey also learned a quarter of people (23%) said rising food prices had hindered their ability to eat a healthy diet. One person told Which?: “I dread going to the shops. I worry about money as food is so expensive and stress that there's not enough food in the house for the kids to eat and that I cannot afford healthy foods.” Another said: “I’ve cut down on fresh food, I cook less and eat much worse.”

One in five (22%) people had lost sleep over food costs and another one in five said their physical health had also deteriorated. One person Which? spoke to said they go “days without eating” another said; “I've become vitamin deficient, I’m not healthy or sleeping well and am suffering from depression.”

With food inflation still worryingly and stubbornly high, Which? is concerned consumers’ mental and physical health will continue to suffer without urgent action to alleviate the financial burden. Recent Which? research found everyday family meals like pasta bake, fish fingers and chips and spaghetti bolognese have increased by up to 27 per cent in price over the last year, with some essential ingredients doubling during this time.

Elena, a mum of two from Merseyside, told Which? her mental health has suffered because the price of baby formula increased. Elena told Which?: “My baby has reflux and yet we can’t afford to buy the anti-reflux baby milk. It’s gone up from £11.50 in 2021 to £14. If your body doesn’t produce milk it isn’t a choice, you just shouldn’t have to pay a premium for something which is a necessity. Thinking about it brings me to tears. 

“I didn’t have babies until I was in a financially stable situation. We should be doing well but instead, we're looking at an uncertain future. We worked very hard for what we have and I feel so angry we and other families aren't being looked after. We feel our best interests just aren't being looked after. That all builds and builds up and I feel like a pressure cooker waiting to explode.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was right last week to put the focus on supermarkets in looking to help millions of people who are struggling with the soaring cost of their weekly shopping. MPs on the Business and Trade Select Committee must seize the opportunity to challenge supermarkets to do more to help when they question grocery bosses in Parliament.

While the whole food supply chain affects prices, Which? firmly believes supermarkets could be doing more by ensuring smaller convenience stores stock a range of essential budget lines that support a healthy diet, especially in areas where they are most needed.

Supermarkets also need to commit to clearer unit pricing, especially on promotions and loyalty card offers, so that people can easily work out which products offer the best value. 

Given the urgency of this cost of living crisis, the government must act now and work with supermarkets to secure these changes that could make a real difference to millions of people struggling to put food on the table.

Sue Davies, Which? Head of Food Policy, said: “Which? research shows how the sustained stress and worry caused by rising food prices is now having a detrimental impact on people’s mental and physical health. Women and young parents are among the worst affected and some people struggling to feed their children are asking themselves how much more of this they can take.

“Now's the time to act. The government must urgently get supermarkets to commit to stocking essential budget ranges in all their stores, particularly in areas where people are most in need, as well as make pricing much clearer so shoppers can compare prices and find the best value products.”

https://www.which.co.uk

That's Food and Drink has carried a story on Foodbanks which can provide help to those who are having problems with food buying https://thatsfoodanddrink.blogspot.com/2023/06/food-industry-is-helping-those-in-need.html