“Taking cod and haddock off the menu is the only way people will venture out and try something new”

Cod and haddock have been removed from the menu at three fish and chip shops in Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire following concerns by the owner that rising prices and supply pressures could deter customers altogether.

The Codfather, which operates three takeaways in Houghton Regis and Aylesbury, confirmed that from Monday 20th April the two species had been replaced with hake, pollock and plaice.

Juliano Brito, who runs The Codfather alongside business partner Marcel, said the move was driven by affordability concerns after repeated menu price increases in recent years. Before the announcement, cod was priced at £8.79 and haddock at £8.99, which with a portion of chips, took the combined price of a meal to nearly £13. In comparison, pollock is on the menu at £6.99. 

“The prices for cod and haddock have become unsustainable,” said Juliano. “Every time our fish prices go up, we have to put our prices up. It reaches the point where you ask, how much more can we increase prices before people start turning their backs on fish and chips? Once the price went over £10, that’s when Marcel and I looked at each other and thought pushing people to keep paying more is not a sustainable solution.”

While hake has featured on the menu for several years, pollock and plaice are new additions, added following a blind taste test. 

“We did a taste test with all the staff and didn’t tell them what was what, we just put them out there. Everyone pointed to plaice for haddock and pollock for cod. Hake has already been on the menu for a couple of years, so everyone was used to that. After that, we thought, this is brilliant.”

Customer trials also confirmed the decision, with Juliano adding: “After that, we got customers on board as well. We took some videos and they tried it, and they all loved it. That gave us confidence to make this decision.”

Juliano believes retaining cod and haddock alongside alternative species would not have had the desired effect on consumer behaviour.

“I think taking cod and haddock off the menu is the only way people will venture out and try something new,” he said. “If it’s still on the menu, people will keep buying the same fish, even though it hurts their pockets. If the choice is taken away and they have three great options – pollock, hake and plaice, all beautiful white fish – it encourages them to give it a go. And once they do, they realise it’s actually lovely.”

Talking about the new species, he emphasised that the change reflects supply pressures rather than any difference in product quality.  “We don’t want people to think cheaper fish means cheaper quality. Cod isn’t becoming more expensive because it’s better quality – it’s because it’s harder to source for political reasons, like the war in Ukraine. If the war wasn’t happening, cod wouldn’t have skyrocketed in price and we would have kept it on. These are all really top quality fish, not a cheaper alternative in the slightest.”

Initial customer reaction has been mixed but broadly positive, according to Juliano. “We’ve had some people be quite sceptical. Those who voiced concerns, we invited them in to try it and, again, the feedback has been positive.”

The business has not ruled out reintroducing cod and haddock if prices improve. “If prices came down tomorrow, we would bring them back. It’s not something we’re changing forever, but it’s an alternative that doesn’t compromise on quality whatsoever.”

He added that the decision reflects wider pressures facing the sector and called on other operators to consider similar action. “We have to act on what’s going on around the world. It’s a tough decision, but I think it’s the right one. We’ve got three shops where we are in Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire, and I hope others see this, feel inspired and follow suit so we can all get through this hard period.”