THE PRICE of fish and chips in Ireland could be set to rise as a result of a mounting potato shortage and dwindling cod and haddock supplies.
Chippers up and down the land are preparing to implement a major price hike on cod, chips, battered sausage, and the humble spice bag.
It's all down to the increasingly erratic weather conditions witnessed across Ireland and the UK over the past 12 months.
A cold snap early in 2018, following by a prolonged period of hot and humid weather has seriously dented the number of potatoes being harvested across the region.
The cost of potatoes has risen as a result, with a 25kg sack of spuds from the UK now £12 compared with the £6 they cost in 2017.
Allied to that, the price of cod and haddock has risen as a result of the depleted number caught on these shores in the warmer sea temperatures.
It's part of what Andrew Crook, the President of the National Federation of Fish Friers, has termed "the perfect storm" of conditions for chippers.
"For a lot of shops, it's going to be very difficult. It means prices will have to increase.," he told MailOnline.
"We are not doing it for profit, we are just trying to survive."
With the poor crop affecting farmers across Europe as well, there's not even an option to import potatoes in a bid to alleviate the situation.
As a result, it's expected that fish and chip shops will be left with little option but to either pass on the costs to the consumer or cut back on portion sizes.
