Analysts looked at the price rises in the last five years and warned that a fish supper could become an occasional treat if the cost continues to shoot up
Fish and chips could cost £18 for a portion by 2030 if prices keep climbing at the recent rate, putting more pressure on household takeaway budgets.
Forecasting analysts at playcasino.com calculated the forecast by applying the recent rate of increase to the average takeaway fish supper price. The forecast uses the average UK takeaway fish supper as the closest available proxy for standard battered cod with regular chips from an average UK chip shop.
The workings use the five-year window behind the projection only. Between 2019 and 2024, the price rose from £6.48 to £9.88. That represents an average yearly rise of 10.5 per cent between 2019 and 2024.
If that rate is applied to the 2024 price of £9.88 and compounded through 2030, it could cost £18. The average takeaway fish supper then reached £10.28 in 2025 and £11.17 in 2026, according to later price reports.
Jon Long, a chip shop owner in Wimborne, Dorset, charges £11.70 for cod and chips. “I think the price is pretty reasonable, I have seen fish and chips as high as £18 for takeaway,” he said.
He says he makes around £2 profit per serving, which includes money for himself and any improvements to his shop. He says that the Russia-Ukraine War, the inflation surge after the Covid-19 pandemic, and higher hospitality costs are all to blame.
Around 7,210 fish and chip shops operate across the UK, according to industry body Seafish. The forecast comes amid fresh attention on fish and chip inflation, with recent coverage tracking the cost of the staple as it moved close to double its 2019 level. At £18, Britain’s favourite chippy comfort food could become an occasional treat rather than an easy takeaway for many households.
The site’s price-tracking method keeps the projection tied to the observed 2019 to 2024 movement rather than presenting £18 as a guaranteed menu price. The underlying price points came from reports by the BBC and the Independent. The 2019 and 2024 figures were used for the calculation.
Odds experts said the projection depends on the recent rate continuing, so £18 should be read as a conditional outcome rather than a certainty. Changes in food costs and consumer demand could leave actual menu prices above or below that mark by 2030.
