An industry body has warned this week that many of Britain’s fish and chip shops are facing possible “extinction” due to increasing costs.
With the rising cost of living crisis continuing to make its impact felt on a wide range of businesses nationwide, the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF) is now urging the government to cut VAT to help chippies with their soaring energy bills, as well as the price of cod and sunflower – which has left them struggling, the BBC reports.
NFFF President Andrew Crook revealed that about 66% of fish and chip shops had also reduced their opening hours in a bid to save money.
This has resulted in a fall of staffing levels to four people per shop.
The NFFF said it had secured a meeting with government ministers this week to further push its message that the industry needs a helping hand, and admitted that current situation is like “nothing we’ve ever seen before.”
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“Unfortunately this is potentially an extinction event for small businesses,” Andrew Crook added.
A government spokesperson said in response that it’s supporting businesses “of all sizes by slashing fuel duty”, and will be introducing a 50% business rates relief.
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Britain’s chippies are facing ‘extinction’ amid rising cost of living crisis / Credit: Gilly (via Unsplash)
“We are working closely with industry to mitigate the impact our sanctions against Russia may have on British businesses, including through the creation of the £100 million UK Seafood Fund,” the government spokesperson added.
“We’re already supporting businesses of all sizes by slashing fuel duty, introducing a 50% business rates relief for eligible high street businesses and putting the brakes on bill increases by freezing the business rates multiplier, which is worth £4.6 billion over the next five years.”
In a bid aiming to help both customers and chippies grappling with tightened household budgets, the UK’s number one vinegar brand Sarson’s has pledged to reimburse hundreds of fish and chip meals this summer as part of its #SarsonsFryday campaign – which launched at the start of the month, and has been running right throughout August.
The brand has been dishing out 100 free chippy teas every Friday.
Sarson’s says it hopes to “renew the nation’s love for fish and chip shops” with the campaign, all while promoting a sense of community spirit in supporting them.
One in 10 Brits are fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party, new survey finds
Emily Sergeant
We’re in peak office Christmas party season right about now.
With just under two weeks to go until the big day itself is here, many businesses across the UK are treating their staff to night out to celebrate both the festive season and all of the hard work they have been putting in throughout the year… and as you can expect, these are usually quite eventful gatherings, shall we say.
But now, a survey by has shed light on just how ‘eventful’ they actually are, as a new survey has revealed that, apparently, one in ten Brits face some sort of disciplinary action or dismissal due to their behaviour at Christmas parties.
The study was conducted by After Drink, and included more than 2,000 participants.
During the research, it was highlighted that 89% of employees admitted to drinking alcohol at these events, Lad Bible reports – with 65% of these confessing that they drank “excessively”.
One in 10 Brits get fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party / Credit: Kraken Images | Mimi Thian (via Unsplash)
There are a multitude of incidents which could lead to disciplinary action in the workplace nowadays, but according to the survey, some of the common reasons following festive celebrations with colleagues included inappropriate comments (23%) and even getting into fights (21%).
16% of these incidents were because of drug use during the event, while inappropriate interactions with colleagues accounted for 14%.
Some of the legal reasons you can be fired from your place of work after a Christmas party include gross misconduct, drunken behaviour, and fighting of any kind.
Despite all these risks, however, Christmas parties still remain as popular as always, and a whopping 79% of respondents said they are planning to attend theirs this year.
Clearly, the moral of the story here is , enjoy yourself… but just not too much.
Featured Image – The OurWhiskey Company (via Pexels)
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Half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner, new survey reveals
Emily Sergeant
Christmas dinner is one of the key parts of any festive celebration.
No matter whether you choose to tuck into a traditional roast with all the trimmings and lashings of gravy, or you prefer to go for something a little different like a curry or a Chinese instead, your Christmas dinner is a chance to gather round with your loved ones and enjoy one of the heartiest meals you’ll likely have all year.
However, some shocking new figures have revealed that half of Manchester residents have no clue how to even cook a Christmas dinner.
Through a major study by the UK’s leading electrical retailer, AO.com, it was revealed that the majority of our city’s residents are “losing confidence” in preparing even the simplest of British dishes – with a traditional roast or Christmas dinner being one of them.
A new survey has revealed that half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner / Credit: Freepik | GoodFon
As part of its new campaign to get Brits back into the kitchen, AO found that just 57% of respondents reckon they would be able to make a roast dinner, 52% could whip up a classic shepherd’s pie, 58% could cook bangers and mash, merely 61% could prepare a full English breakfast, and again, only 57% could tackle fish and chips.
Classic desserts are clearly a struggle for us Mancs too, according to the survey, as only 19% of respondents said they’d feel confident cooking a Christmas pudding.
The survey also found that nationwide, it was Gen Z – those between the age of 16 and 27 – that are the least confident in their ability to cook great British classics, while on the other end of the spectrum, Baby Boomers are the most capable, proving that culinary confidence increases with age.
Our region’s residents are apparently ‘losing confidence’ at cooking simple British classics / Credit: Freepik
Commenting on the results, Jay Lockton, oven expert at AO.com, said: “Kitchens should be a place of creativity and joy, but our data shows that a lot of people in Manchester are losing confidence in preparing even the simplest of British dishes.
“Based on our findings, many younger people may be opting for convenience foods or takeaways due to their busy schedules and the perception that cooking from scratch is time-consuming or difficult.
Emily Sergeant -
26th August 2022 
