Fish — and a few chips

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34000, 14 November 1975, Page 1

Fish — and a few chips

The chip component of the traditional “no-dishes-to-wash-up” meal, fish and chips, is being rationed in Christchurch. Rationing is a direct result of an acute shortage of potatoes which has forced the price up to record levels. Fish and chip shops, already low on potatoes, are limiting the number of chips any customer can buy to make it possible to give everybody at least a few. One proprietor said yesterday that although he had enough potatoes to see him through until the end of next January, he was paying dearly for them—at $2O a sack. At that price, he said, a scoopful of chips amounting to 6oz, would give him a profit of 2c, taking into account the cost of cooking and serving them.

The rule of thumb some vendors are following is one scoopful of chips to three pieces of fish, each of which cost 15c.

Many vendors have their own sources of potato supplies; country growers who enter into contracts of supply on a regular basis.

Other vendors buy from the markets.

A suburban vendor said yesterday that even with the present high price of potatoes, fish and chips were still & comparably fair-priced meal. Pieces of fish had been costing 15c for the last six to eight months and the chips had remained about the same price. The vendor said that fish and chips were cheaper to eat than hamburgers, most takeaway meals, and all restaurant meals. The only meal cheaper was homemade sandwiches.

Notwithstanding the cost of fish and chips, the sale of them had remained undiminished, and vendors were confident that people would continue to buy them because they liked them, wanted a quick meal, wanted to give mother a break from cooking, or wanted a change. Sales at present were better than this time last year and would probably remain buoyant until warmer weather arrived. Vendors say that, with few exceptions, their customers are once-a-week buyers, although working couples appear to rely on the meal more than others.