Price of chips set to soar 'within weeks' due to recent heatwave
dailyrecord.co.ukThe cost of chips in the UK could shoot up from next month after the recent heatwave damaged potato crops over the summer. There are also fears over food shortages as the British takeaway favourite is set to skyrocket in price.
This is expected to cause massive problems for wholesalers and food services, as well as chip fans up and down the country who may not be able to get their hands on them.
Grocer magazine recently reported that the main potato crop in the UK, which provides storing potatoes to be used over winter, hasn't fared well during the recent heatwave.The damage that has been caused will likely drive up the price of potatoes, resulting in a domino effect of chips and other potato-based products soaring in price.One wholesaler told Grocer: "There is a lot of speculation at the moment.
The chip guys have already put through significant increases in the last 12 months due to fuel and energy costs and this is the next opportunity for them to increase the prices."However, we won’t get a true picture until they have lifted the crop in September or October."It's estimated that we'll see an increase of around 20% to current chip prices, according to Q Catering MD Steve Clark.Speaking to Grocer, he said: "We’re getting indications of huge increases in chip prices which will go hand in hand with availability and supply issues."Although the demand has been lower recently, it's still "inevitable" that prices will go up.This is down to the rising energy bills, as well as the cost for things like cooking oil. Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - sign up to our daily newsletter here .
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