While he can’t offer a miracle fish to replace cod and haddock, William Crooks, director at Whitby-based fresh fish merchants Dennis Crooks, can provide advice to help shops survive the months ahead
Tell us about Dennis Crooks
My dad, Dennis, started the company in 1977 on Whitby fish market with a fish filleting bench chained to a post. The council tried to move him on, but the town mayor intervened and gave him a chance. He saved up £500, borrowed another £500, and bought a small premises on Silver Street in Whitby. He quickly outgrew it so bought land on the industrial estate just outside of Whitby and had a purpose-built factory made. We’re still there today, although it has expanded over the years.
What volume of fish do you process these days?
We process around 10 to 15 tons of fish per week, covering a wide variety of species. While our core business is supplying fresh cod and haddock to fish and chip shops, we also serve fine-dining restaurants, pubs and hotels. We do process some frozen fish, but our speciality is fresh cod and haddock. Everything is still cut by hand, ensuring unmatched quality control.
Who is involved in the business?
I’ve worked here full-time since I was 18 and I’m 38 this year, but over the course of my life, I was always in and out as a kid, working in the holidays. My sister Holly, who is 42, has been here since she was 16. My dad, now 73, still comes in seven days a week. It’s a proper family business.
Where are we with prices for fresh cod and haddock?
This time of year is historically expensive due to spawning season, making fish harder to find. With recent quota reductions on frozen at sea, demand for fresh is increasing, pushing prices up by about 30%. Right now, a 32-ounce plus cod is around £15 per kilo, and an 8-10-ounce haddock fillet is about £10.90 per kilo. Unlike prices of frozen, which remain stable for months at a time, fresh fish fluctuates weekly, and with a large influx of fresh cod from Iceland and Norway expected next week we could well see prices of fresh come down. A lot of shops like dealing in frozen at sea because they prefer to know they are paying a set amount for months and months. With fresh, I just say to customers to draw a line through it and over the course of six months, you get your average.
How are you handling the influx of new customers?
We have extra capacity so we are managing, but I will turn people away if it means ensuring our existing customers continue receiving the same high level of service. I’d rather not take on more if it is going to be to their detriment.
What advice are you giving to fish and chip shops at the moment?
It’s simple but brutal: put your prices up. Fish and chip shop owners are their own worst enemies – they think they can’t put prices up because customers won’t pay it. I remember my dad having a conversation with a customer some time ago when cod was at £4 a stone. The customer was ranting and raving down the phone, saying he couldn’t can’t make it pay at that price anymore. Inevitably, someone bought the fish and chip shop, put the prices up and made it successful. Yes, there maybe push back from some customers but they have to understand that if shops don’t put up their prices, they’re not going to be there for much longer. Some also give excessively large portions, leading to unnecessary wastage. Better portion control will help. There’s also a misconception that switching to cheaper fish, like coley, is the answer, but the reality is customers want cod and haddock.
Would you not recommend shops try alternative species?
There is no miracle fish that is going to solve the problem. The same fish species have been around forever. Shops can try coley, pollock and hake but it’s a really tough one because customers generally don’t want it. People go to a fish and chip shop for a treat; they’d rather pay a little more for quality than settle for an inferior product. I’d say, maybe introduce other things to give the customers options. It’s education more than anything. There’s been this generational perception of fish and chips being a cheap meal because it was, but those days are long gone. The effort and the work that goes into getting fish to a fish and chip shop is ridiculous. It’s the last sort of hunter-gatherer product still sold to the masses, and it’s that story that needs to be told so people understand why prices are where they are.
You mentioned portion control, what can shops do?
Rather than focusing on the fish weight alone, I would encourage shops to look at the total meal weight. A seven-ounce portion of fish with seven ounces of chips equals 400 grams of food – ample for one person. Adjusting portion sizes can help keep costs manageable without compromising customer satisfaction.
You also mentioned adding other options, what ideas do you have?
If raising prices seems difficult, focus on pushing high-margin alternatives like sausages and homemade fishcakes. Fish and chip shops should have near zero waste – everything can be used even down to the little flaps of fish, whether for fishcakes or fish bites.
What about offering promotions?
OAP specials are a great idea. Older customers often prefer smaller portions, including tail-end pieces, which some shops overlook because they are not seen as the creme de la creme. Loyalty schemes are great for encouraging repeat business, and shops should embrace technology, from online ordering to social media platforms, to attract more customers. Also looking at every option you have as an output for a sale, whether that’s via Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook or your website. What I would love to see is live pricing. It would take a lot but if a shop had a chalkboard displaying the daily market price for fish it would be a very transparent way to reflect fluctuating costs.
How long do you see the current price volatility lasting?
That’s crystal ball stuff but taking a guess I would predict at least another six to eight months of difficulty. Beyond that, it’s uncertain. However, even at £15 per portion, fish and chips remains a good value meal and, pound for pound it has to be the most nutritional too. Shops need to communicate this and they also need to focus on their own business rather than worrying about competitors. Pricing should reflect what is needed to sustain their operations, not what the shop down the road is charging. And there’s no need to justify price increases — supermarkets don’t, and neither should fish and chip shops.
