Blow to Brits as average cost of fish and chips rockets while shop prices fall

THE average cost of fish and chips has hit nearly £10, figures show — but the prices of non-food shop items are falling for the first time in nearly three years.

The price of a portion of the British staple rose by over 50 per cent in the five years to July, from £6.48 on average to £9.88.

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The price of a portion of fish and chips increased by over 50% in five years, rising from an average of £6.48 to £9.88 by July[/caption]

Office for National Statistics figures on takeaway prices show the cost of a kebab rose 44 per cent and a pizza 30 per cent.

 The average cost of a kebab is £7.57, pizza is £10.48 and chicken and chips is £6.70. An Indian meal now costs £9.71 while a Chinese is £7.14.

Chippy owner Jon Long said increased energy and labour costs had played a part.

He added: “It’s not a cheap meal any more.”

Meanwhile, retailers have begun slashing prices of clothing and household items to get rid of summer stock, which has helped shop prices fall into deflation for the first time since October 2021.

The British Retail Consortium-Nielsen Shop Price Index found they were 0.3 per cent lower in the first week of this month than a year ago.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said it reflects “retailers discounting heavily to shift their summer stock, particularly for fashion and household goods”.

“This discounting followed a difficult summer of trading caused by poor weather and the continued cost-of-living crunch impacting many families,” she said.

Meanwhile, food prices increased by 2 per cent in August, compared with the previous year.