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It is the dish that has fuelled Britain for generations – and now fish and chips need saving. As National Fish and Chip Day arrives on Friday, the public is being urged to tuck into a takeaway and throw a lifeline to struggling chippies fighting to stay afloat.

Industry leaders hope hungry customers will help keep the frying pans sizzling by supporting the sector, which is facing a cost crisis. A mixture of Labour’s employment policies, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Middle East conflict and Brexit has pushed the sector to breaking point, Gary Lewis warned. The president of the National Edible Oil Distributors’ Association (NEOA), which started National Fish and Chip Day 11 years ago, spelt out the economic pressures shops are battling.

He warned commodity prices, such as fish, potatoes and cooking oil, had risen by 10% since the start of 2026.

Mr Lewis added: “All those things combined lead to higher prices which, unfortunately, need to be passed on, particularly if you’ve got to pay the employment rates quite rightly and any insurance contributions and then you’re paying more for your commodities.”

He continued: “It’s just been a tricky time in the last six to seven years for the industry to face.

“Every year hits with one factor or another, and businesses trying to stay alive, even though it represents good value, and obviously people like to eat out when they can.

“We’re living in a cost-of-living crisis, which is rearing its head. I would imagine that in the coming months, as the impact of the Middle East crisis [becomes clear], it’s going to hit consumers again.”

The Daily Express has launched the Save Our Fish and Chips campaign to help support the sector.

NEODA added its voice to the desperate pleas for a VAT cut to help the struggling industry.

Mr Lewis said the current 20% is “quite high” and insisted more support is needed.

Russian sanctions on fish, import costs and fishing quotas have directly impacted the viability of traditional UK shops, whose customers have a stubborn liking for cod and haddock.

This is on top of National Insurance contributions increased in April, a rise in minimum wage and high business rates.

When asked what his message was to Britons on Fish and Chip Day, Mr Lewis said: “Go out and enjoy yourself. The whole point of this is not about picking a certain day on a Friday. We’re saying to people, ‘look, have your Friday night treat’. Friday is fish and chip night where people go out to celebrate it.

“It’s about awareness of what is a great industry. Think about the community, [you’d] be supporting the businesses in your community, and that helps them. So support them by going out and buying them if you enjoy it.

“These people are providing for the community. Lots of them do lots of charitable work as well to support the community. Hopefully, the weather is great as well, and we see so much of people going out enjoying themselves and using the opportunity to celebrate that and anything else in their community.”