Latest news with #TommyBanks
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
King of Fish dethroned by costs: Turbot vanishes from seafood restaurants after labour, energy and shipping price hikes
Price hikes are forcing restaurants to ditch a menu staple dubbed the 'King of Fish'. Turbot is increasingly vanishing from plates served up across the UK following surges in costs for labour, energy and shipping, top chefs and retailers have warned. Fans of the fish dish savour its flesh and flavour - but it is now proving prohibitively expensive to source and serve for outlets already facing cost of living pressures. Among those raising the alert is Tommy Banks, chef patron of two Michelin-starred venues in Yorkshire - the Black Swan, in OIdstead, and Roots, in York. He was full of praise for turbot itself, saying: 'It's the king of the sea, a beautiful fish.' But he told of the soaring costs involved in providing it, saying how the fish cost £18 per kilogram before the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic but 'as much as £65' these days. He said: 'You can't afford to put it on the menu. 'And if you do, the amount you'd have to charge for it, there's just no value whatsoever. 'There really isn't cheap or cheaper fish any more - but turbot in particular is just outrageous and you can't afford to use it.' He described how, during a recent tasting night staged at his Roots restaurant, one of the dishes involving turbot could only include 'literally a sliver' for each diner. Mr Banks added: 'We were like, "Well, we need to make turbot the smallest because it's so expensive" - it was costing £9 for 60g of fillet.' Some restaurants have halted ordering turbot at all, according to Adrian Nunn, director of fish-selling firm The Upper Scale. He told of bosses opting instead for cheaper options such as Dover sole, the Telegraph reported. He said: 'I don't think I've got one restaurant using turbot - they used to and they've stopped, they can't afford to.' Other seafood offerings appearing to be too pricey for many these days include langoustines, lobster, caviar and truffle, of which Mr Nunn said: 'You'll only really find in Mayfair now.' He added: 'It's not just the prime fish - it's all fish, whether it's frozen or whether it's sardines, mackerel, whether it's turbot, Dover soles, it's all gone up.' Adding to pressure is increased demand for fish from Spanish and French buyers willing to pay more, which has driven up the price for British firms. Mr Nunn said: 'We buy in North of England, because there's not so many Spanish and French buyers up there. 'They'll just outbid us. We'd love to buy turbot at £10 per kilo, but they'll pay £20, £25, £30 so that's it.' Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that white fish fillets have leapt in average price per kilogram by more than 28 per cent in the past three years. That cost hit £20.59 in January this year - compared to £15.57 in the same month of 2011, £11.48 a decade earlier and just 53p back in January 1971. Keeping fish chilled has hit traders especially hard with rising energy bills in recent years. Businesses have also been tussling with high inflation as well as the Government's increases to the minimum wage and National Insurance contributions in Chancellor Rachel Reeves's Budget last October. She hiked the rate of employer National Insurance contributions to 15 per cent and reduced the threshold for paying the tax from £9,100 to £5,000. Meanwhile, i nflation leapt to 3.5 per cent in April this year, according to the latest Bank of England figures. That was up from 2.6 per cent the previous month and 1.7 per cent last September. Laky Zervudachi, director of sustainability at fish wholesaler Direct Seafoods, said: 'This year we have seen increasing inflationary pressure on virtually all species of seafood, whether it be simple staples like cod and haddock, to the more exclusive species like scallops and lobsters. 'As always, there are many factors that combine to create these increases, not least are a number of precautionary measures that have been taken by international bodies to help preserve fishing stocks around the world.' He also described how French and Spanish buyers especially were stepping up demand, pushing up the prices for UK companies.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Restaurants remove ‘king of fish' from menus as prices soar
Chefs are being forced to take the so-called king of fish off their menus, as the soaring price of seafood makes it virtually impossible to turn a profit. Treasured for its succulent flesh and superior flavour, turbot has long been considered among the finest fishes on restaurant menus. Yet it is becoming a rare option for diners following steep increases in the cost of fish and seafood. Tommy Banks, chef patron of Michelin-starred restaurants The Black Swan and Roots, both in Yorkshire, said: 'It's the king of the sea, a beautiful fish. Pre-pandemic, I paid £18 per kilo. Now it can be as much as £65. 'You can't afford to put it on the menu. And if you do… the amount you'd have to charge for it. There's just no value whatsoever. There really isn't cheap or cheaper fish any more. But turbot in particular is just outrageous, and you can't afford to use it.' Mr Banks recently hosted a tasting night at his restaurant Roots where one of the dishes included turbot. However, he said: 'I was giving a 60g sliver, literally a sliver [to diners]. We were like 'Well, we need to make turbot the smallest [dish] because it's so expensive'. It was costing £9 for 60g of fillet.' Adrian Nunn, director of The Upper Scale, which sells fish to consumers and restaurants in London, said many restaurants had stopped ordering turbot altogether, and were using more affordable alternatives – like Dover sole. He said: 'I don't think I've got one restaurant using turbot. They used to and they've stopped, they can't afford to.' Seafood prices have soared across in recent years, with produce such as langoustines also becoming unsustainable to serve in restaurants. Mr Banks said: 'Some of these really luxury ingredients – like turbot, langoustine, lobster, caviar and truffle – you'll only really find in Mayfair now.' However, Mr Nunn added: 'It's not just the prime fish, It's all fish, whether it's frozen or whether it's sardines, mackerel, whether it's turbot, Dover soles, it's all gone up.' Traditional fish suppers have been hit too. According to the Office for National Statistics, the price of a kilogram of white fish fillets has risen by more than 28pc in the three years to January 2025 to hit £20.59. Inflation in fish and seafood has been blamed on steep rises in the cost of labour, shipping and energy – keeping fish chilled or frozen is particularly energy intensive – and the reduction of fishing quotas by international governments. Laky Zervudachi at fish wholesaler Direct Seafoods, added: 'This year we have seen increasing inflationary pressure on virtually all species of seafood, whether it be simple staples like cod and haddock, to the more exclusive species like scallops and lobsters. 'As always, there are many factors that combine to create these increases, not least are a number of precautionary measures that have been taken by international bodies to help preserve fishing stocks around the world.' Adding to pressure is increased demand for fish from Spanish and French buyers, which has driven up the price for British firms, Mr Nunn said. He said: 'We buy in North of England, because there's not so many Spanish and French buyers up there. They'll just outbid us. We'd love to buy turbot at £10 per kilo, but they'll pay £20, £25, £30 so that's it.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Restaurants remove ‘king of fish' from menus as prices soar
Chefs are being forced to take the so-called king of fish off their menus, as the soaring price of seafood makes it virtually impossible to turn a profit. Treasured for its succulent flesh and superior flavour, turbot has long been considered among the finest fishes on restaurant menus. Yet it is becoming a rare option for diners following steep increases in the cost of fish and seafood. Tommy Banks, chef patron of Michelin-starred restaurants The Black Swan and Roots, both in Yorkshire, said: 'It's the king of the sea, a beautiful fish. Pre-pandemic, I paid £18 per kilo. Now it can be as much as £65. 'You can't afford to put it on the menu. And if you do… the amount you'd have to charge for it. There's just no value whatsoever. There really isn't cheap or cheaper fish any more. But turbot in particular is just outrageous, and you can't afford to use it.' Mr Banks recently hosted a tasting night at his restaurant Roots where one of the dishes included turbot. However, he said: 'I was giving a 60g sliver, literally a sliver [to diners]. We were like 'Well, we need to make turbot the smallest [dish] because it's so expensive'. It was costing £9 for 60g of fillet.' Adrian Nunn, director of The Upper Scale, which sells fish to consumers and restaurants in London, said many restaurants had stopped ordering turbot altogether, and were using more affordable alternatives – like Dover sole. He said: 'I don't think I've got one restaurant using turbot. They used to and they've stopped, they can't afford to.' Seafood prices have soared across in recent years, with produce such as langoustines also becoming unsustainable to serve in restaurants. Mr Banks said: 'Some of these really luxury ingredients – like turbot, langoustine, lobster, caviar and truffle – you'll only really find in Mayfair now.' However, Mr Nunn added: 'It's not just the prime fish, It's all fish, whether it's frozen or whether it's sardines, mackerel, whether it's turbot, Dover soles, it's all gone up.' Traditional fish suppers have been hit too. According to the Office for National Statistics, the price of a kilogram of white fish fillets has risen by more than 28pc in the three years to January 2025 to hit £20.59. Inflation in fish and seafood has been blamed on steep rises in the cost of labour, shipping and energy – keeping fish chilled or frozen is particularly energy intensive – and the reduction of fishing quotas by international governments. Laky Zervudachi at fish wholesaler Direct Seafoods, added: 'This year we have seen increasing inflationary pressure on virtually all species of seafood, whether it be simple staples like cod and haddock, to the more exclusive species like scallops and lobsters. 'As always, there are many factors that combine to create these increases, not least are a number of precautionary measures that have been taken by international bodies to help preserve fishing stocks around the world.' Adding to pressure is increased demand for fish from Spanish and French buyers, which has driven up the price for British firms, Mr Nunn said. He said: 'We buy in North of England, because there's not so many Spanish and French buyers up there. They'll just outbid us. We'd love to buy turbot at £10 per kilo, but they'll pay £20, £25, £30 so that's it.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Restaurants remove ‘king of fish' from menus as prices soar
Chefs are being forced to take the so-called king of fish off their menus, as the soaring price of seafood makes it virtually impossible to turn a profit. Treasured for its succulent flesh and superior flavour, turbot has long been considered among the finest fishes on restaurant menus. Yet it is becoming a rare option for diners following steep increases in the cost of fish and seafood. Tommy Banks, chef patron of Michelin-starred restaurants The Black Swan and Roots, both in Yorkshire, said: 'It's the king of the sea, a beautiful fish. Pre-pandemic, I paid £18 per kilo. Now it can be as much as £65. 'You can't afford to put it on the menu. And if you do… the amount you'd have to charge for it. There's just no value whatsoever. There really isn't cheap or cheaper fish any more. But turbot in particular is just outrageous, and you can't afford to use it.' Mr Banks recently hosted a tasting night at his restaurant Roots where one of the dishes included turbot. However, he said: 'I was giving a 60g sliver, literally a sliver [to diners]. We were like 'Well, we need to make turbot the smallest [dish] because it's so expensive'. It was costing £9 for 60g of fillet.' Adrian Nunn, director of The Upper Scale, which sells fish to consumers and restaurants in London, said many restaurants had stopped ordering turbot altogether, and were using more affordable alternatives – like Dover sole. He said: 'I don't think I've got one restaurant using turbot. They used to and they've stopped, they can't afford to.' Traditional fish prices have also hiked Seafood prices have soared across in recent years, with produce such as langoustines also becoming unsustainable to serve in restaurants. Mr Banks said: 'Some of these really luxury ingredients – like turbot, langoustine, lobster, caviar and truffle – you'll only really find in Mayfair now.' However, Mr Nunn added: 'It's not just the prime fish, It's all fish, whether it's frozen or whether it's sardines, mackerel, whether it's turbot, Dover soles, it's all gone up.' Traditional fish suppers have been hit too. According to the Office for National Statistics, the price of a kilogram of white fish fillets has risen by more than 28pc in the three years to January 2025 to hit £20.59. Inflation in fish and seafood has been blamed on steep rises in the cost of labour, shipping and energy – keeping fish chilled or frozen is particularly energy intensive – and the reduction of fishing quotas by international governments. Laky Zervudachi at fish wholesaler Direct Seafoods, added: 'This year we have seen increasing inflationary pressure on virtually all species of seafood, whether it be simple staples like cod and haddock, to the more exclusive species like scallops and lobsters. 'As always, there are many factors that combine to create these increases, not least are a number of precautionary measures that have been taken by international bodies to help preserve fishing stocks around the world.' Adding to pressure is increased demand for fish from Spanish and French buyers, which has driven up the price for British firms, Mr Nunn said. He said: 'We buy in North of England, because there's not so many Spanish and French buyers up there. They'll just outbid us. We'd love to buy turbot at £10 per kilo, but they'll pay £20, £25, £30 so that's it.'
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
William Sitwell reviews Roots, York: ‘So heavenly it could calm the wildest loon'
Tommy Banks's empire includes a Michelin-starred restaurant-with-rooms on the North York Moors, an old inn by Byland Abbey, a food delivery service, a posh spot in York called Roots (also starred), a recently launched pub group, and a canned wine business. The tinnies are on the wine list at Roots, naturally, but the staff (or indeed anyone in the world, as far as I know) are yet to figure out a way to open them with flair. Sommeliers can yank out corks with majestic creativity and attempt theatrics with screw caps (turning the bottle with a flourish, rather than the cap), but when they bring you a can of wine there is no such drama. Our server settled, understandably, on bringing the tins for show then returning them empty with a filled decanter. I enjoyed the novelty of a fine-dining establishment offering canned wine. And I enjoyed the wine, too. The Banks Brothers gamay/pinot noir blend is fabulous, all the more so if, like me, you've a train south to catch and can grab some more tins for the journey. It was one of the things that tempered my dread of the compulsory tasting menu at this converted old inn by the River Ouse. It's a bright room – lots of pale wood, beige walls, panelling. What you might call civic-chic. In fact, the whole place feels like a modern-courthouse-cum-registry-office. With Banks's entrepreneurial mind I'm surprised he doesn't rent the space out in the morning for sentencing and marriages before turning out his food and wine in the afternoon. Seven courses came our way (you can also opt for a pricier nine-course menu), but were far less painful than feared. First up, salami and hams – meltingly tender, salty palate galvanisers (especially for a wonderful South African wine, The Foundry Roussanne, in glass this time) – followed by bread, a whole, decent loaf of sourdough. Then the main thematic thrust of the menu: fluffy, creamy froths framing the cured, the pickled and the fermented. A rustic bowl of cloud-like yellowy froth (what they call a 'soup' of Jerusalem artichoke with aged Killeen goat's milk cheese) is a dish that draws folk to Roots from far and wide, a siren call you can succumb to without repercussion, bar obesity. Underneath the froth are mushrooms and fermented grains. It was a complex and delectable dish. The next frothy offering was bitter, topped by a scallop, caramelised and sliced like a fat hasselback potato. The over-sugary scallop couldn't quite match up to the harsh-tasting foam, though; I'd have preferred the simplicity of a naked scallop. Then in washed another spumy yellowy sauce, with hints of leek and herbs. This time the bubbles bobbed with pink fir apple potatoes – a lovely celebration of these wonderful tatties, but a dish that left me craving a change of scene. It came, finally, with the main course dish of venison. This was a plate, all dry dabs of protein, fermented cherry and beetroot, that cried out to be drenched with sauce. Thankfully a spoonful of jus dispatched at the table went some way to avert the sparse look. More thrilling, though, was the accompanying little pastry, delivering croissant flakiness with warm, oozing venison within. So good, so soporific, so rich and heavenly, it could calm the wildest loon. Hand them round to the world's troublemakers and they'd be suing for peace before midnight. Down went the deer, then a pud of pears with hazelnuts (I searched in vain for the advertised chocolate), and I took myself and my tinnies merrily south.
