Fish and chips sales expected to increase: report

Nearly half of consumers said they are willing to pay for premium fish and chips.

Sales of fish and chips, the top favourite pub and bar meal in the UK, is seen to increase as consumers said they are willing to pay more in exchange for a better version of the dish.

In a CGA by NielsenIQ report, three in five consumers said they are willing to pay more for an elevated fish and chips whilst 48% said they will try a premium fish and chip restaurant.

The dish also emerged on top as UK’s favourite pub and bar meal with 28% of consumers choosing fish and chips as their top three dishes, ahead of carveries and roasts (24%), steak (22%), pizza (21%), and beef burgers (17%).

Karl Chessell, CGA’s business unit director - hospitality operators and food, EMEA, said, “Britain’s consumers have never had such a wide choice of options when eating out, so it’s fascinating to see the appetite for fish and chips is undimmed. Even in very mature parts of the eating-out market like this, it’s encouraging to see there is still so much potential to grow sales, especially by helping people trade up to new alternatives and making fish and chip shops destinations in their own right. With spending on eating out under mounting pressure, tempting consumers with exciting twists on popular favourites like fish and chips will be a crucial tactic in the months ahead.”