Rick Stein has defended his decision to charge £2 for condiments at his fish restaurant inThe television chef and food writer’s restaurant group charges customers for condiments and dips in Stein’s Fish & Chips in Padstow to sit in, including gravy, curry sauce and aioli.A spokesperson for Stein, who runs 10 restaurants in the UK, blamed “skyrocketing costs” including food, energy and wage bills for the higher prices seen by diners.
“Food inflation, energy costs, along with rising wages, have driven up the cost of production significantly. We have reluctantly, along with many others, had to pass on some of the costs to our customers.” One wrote: “So disappointed with the meal. The haddock was amazing … let down by serving frozen chips and having to pay £2 for the tiniest pot of mushy peas believable.”
The rate at which food prices are rising is slowing but stubbornly high grocery prices mean the cost of the weekly shop is now as big a concern as energy bills, research in August showed.