Episode 5

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0:00:02 > 0:00:04There's a lot we don't know about the food on our plates

0:00:04 > 0:00:08and the shops and labels don't always tell you the whole story.

0:00:08 > 0:00:11I think they encourage you to buy more than you need

0:00:11 > 0:00:13and that causes a lot of waste.

0:00:13 > 0:00:16Whether you're staying in or going out,

0:00:16 > 0:00:18you've told us you can feel ripped off

0:00:18 > 0:00:21by the promises made for what you eat

0:00:21 > 0:00:24- and what you pay for it.- How do you know that it's half price?

0:00:24 > 0:00:27What they've done, they've bumped the price up

0:00:27 > 0:00:28and then knocked it down.

0:00:28 > 0:00:33From claims that don't stack up to the secrets behind the packaging,

0:00:33 > 0:00:36we'll uncover the truth about Britain's food,

0:00:36 > 0:00:40so you can be sure you're getting what you expect at the right price.

0:00:41 > 0:00:46Your food, your money. This is Rip-Off Britain.

0:00:48 > 0:00:51Hello and a very warm welcome to Rip-Off Britain

0:00:51 > 0:00:52and our specialist series,

0:00:52 > 0:00:56getting our teeth into all sorts of things to do with food.

0:00:56 > 0:00:58Today, we'll be investigating some of the favourites

0:00:58 > 0:01:01in our cupboards and fridges - foods that most of us,

0:01:01 > 0:01:03let's face it have grown up with and that, in some cases,

0:01:03 > 0:01:05really are synonymous with Britain.

0:01:05 > 0:01:06But we're going to be asking

0:01:06 > 0:01:08if they're still synonymous with quality

0:01:08 > 0:01:11and, indeed, whether or not they still offer

0:01:11 > 0:01:13good old-fashioned value for money

0:01:13 > 0:01:16because you've been telling us that the cost of some of those favourites

0:01:16 > 0:01:19seems to have gone up rather more than perhaps it should.

0:01:19 > 0:01:21So, we're going to see if that is really the case,

0:01:21 > 0:01:23and, if so, why that is.

0:01:23 > 0:01:25In some cases, of course,

0:01:25 > 0:01:28it may be worth splashing out the extra money.

0:01:28 > 0:01:31On the other hand, it could be that a cheaper option is just as good.

0:01:31 > 0:01:34So, as ever, while we try to find out

0:01:34 > 0:01:36whether you really DO get what you pay for

0:01:36 > 0:01:39and if it even matters where it comes from,

0:01:39 > 0:01:40we'll have plenty of tips and advice

0:01:40 > 0:01:44to make sure you know exactly what you're getting for your money.

0:01:45 > 0:01:49Coming up, the supermarket milk raising money for dairy farmers,

0:01:49 > 0:01:52but not all of it goes to the ones that you might think.

0:01:52 > 0:01:54When I first saw the labelling,

0:01:54 > 0:01:58it stated that 23p per four pints was going back

0:01:58 > 0:02:02to what I would assume was UK dairy farmers,

0:02:02 > 0:02:06cos it represented a Union Jack on the label.

0:02:06 > 0:02:09That's why we thought it was a good idea to pay the extra money.

0:02:09 > 0:02:11And the best-selling lagers

0:02:11 > 0:02:15whose ads go big on the countries they apparently come from,

0:02:15 > 0:02:18so does it matter if, in fact, they're brewed a lot closer to home?

0:02:18 > 0:02:20It is a bit misleading

0:02:20 > 0:02:23if you're getting beers from foreign countries and we're brewing it here.

0:02:23 > 0:02:25It's not really coming from a foreign country, is it?

0:02:28 > 0:02:32A food story that's dominated the headlines in recent years

0:02:32 > 0:02:35is how much dairy farmers are paid by the big supermarkets

0:02:35 > 0:02:37for the milk that they sell them.

0:02:37 > 0:02:39It's a tricky issue for consumers

0:02:39 > 0:02:43because while we might want the price that we pay to stay low,

0:02:43 > 0:02:47what we don't want is for that to be at the expense of the people

0:02:47 > 0:02:51whose livelihood depends on actually producing it, which, of course,

0:02:51 > 0:02:54is exactly what the industry says has been happening,

0:02:54 > 0:02:57with some farmers squeezed out of business altogether.

0:02:57 > 0:03:00While the issue remains a pretty hot potato,

0:03:00 > 0:03:02one big-name store has come up with a solution

0:03:02 > 0:03:05that does seem to offer shoppers a real choice on this.

0:03:05 > 0:03:08But is it all that it seems? Well, that's the question

0:03:08 > 0:03:11that one Rip-Off Britain viewer has asked us to look into.

0:03:12 > 0:03:14The days when most of us

0:03:14 > 0:03:16had our milk delivered to our doorstep are long gone.

0:03:16 > 0:03:20Two semi-skinned, one silver top, number 18.

0:03:20 > 0:03:23And though milk consumption is up,

0:03:23 > 0:03:26the dairy farming industry is in crisis.

0:03:29 > 0:03:30Since the year 2000,

0:03:30 > 0:03:34over half of the UK's dairy farmers have gone out of business

0:03:34 > 0:03:38and many say that that's because it costs them more to produce the milk

0:03:38 > 0:03:41than the amount that they get back when they sell it.

0:03:42 > 0:03:45And one of the reasons sometimes cited for this

0:03:45 > 0:03:48is the competitive pricing of the supermarkets,

0:03:48 > 0:03:50who've been accused of milking the industry dry.

0:03:51 > 0:03:54- NEWS REPORT:- Supermarkets say their pricing deals are fair

0:03:54 > 0:03:56but farmers say that they are paid less

0:03:56 > 0:03:58for milk than it costs to produce.

0:04:01 > 0:04:04All of this is news that bothered Malcolm Frances from Redditch.

0:04:04 > 0:04:07He wants to make sure that more of his cash

0:04:07 > 0:04:09ends up in the pockets of the farmers,

0:04:09 > 0:04:12rather than the hands of the retailers.

0:04:12 > 0:04:15So, when he heard about one of a number of supermarket schemes

0:04:15 > 0:04:18that claimed to give farmers a better deal,

0:04:18 > 0:04:20he was keen to find out more.

0:04:20 > 0:04:25I first saw the Morrisons Milk For Farmers on television,

0:04:25 > 0:04:27that they were going to bring it out.

0:04:27 > 0:04:31Morrisons supermarket says it's introducing a special brand of milk

0:04:31 > 0:04:35with 10p from every litre going to farmers which supply it.

0:04:35 > 0:04:39And then a couple of weeks later, we actually found it

0:04:39 > 0:04:42in our supermarket and that's how we started buying it.

0:04:44 > 0:04:47The Milk For Farmers scheme offers customers the option

0:04:47 > 0:04:49of paying a few pence more for their milk,

0:04:49 > 0:04:53with the extra money going straight back to the producers.

0:04:53 > 0:04:55And this is the milk in question -

0:04:55 > 0:04:59a four-pint bottle of milk costing £1.12,

0:04:59 > 0:05:03which is exactly 23p more than this exact same bottle,

0:05:03 > 0:05:08four pints of milk, British milk, costing 89p.

0:05:08 > 0:05:10But that's because... Look at the label.

0:05:10 > 0:05:13It says, "We give 23p back to the farmer."

0:05:13 > 0:05:17Which means the choice is yours. You can buy this four-pint bottle

0:05:17 > 0:05:21and feel really good about yourself because you know that 23p

0:05:21 > 0:05:24is going back to the hard-pressed dairy farmers.

0:05:24 > 0:05:26But which ones?

0:05:26 > 0:05:31When I first saw the labelling, it stated that 23p per four pints

0:05:31 > 0:05:37was going back to what I would assume was UK dairy farmers,

0:05:37 > 0:05:40cos it represented a Union Jack on the label.

0:05:40 > 0:05:44That's why we thought it was a good idea to pay the extra money.

0:05:47 > 0:05:49But Malcolm is concerned that the extra money

0:05:49 > 0:05:54that he's chosen to pay for his milk isn't going to where he'd assumed -

0:05:54 > 0:05:56to the UK dairy farmers who produced it.

0:05:58 > 0:06:01The label, which says, "We give back to the farmer",

0:06:01 > 0:06:03it doesn't say which farmers.

0:06:05 > 0:06:07Although there's a Union Jack on here,

0:06:07 > 0:06:09specifying that it's British milk,

0:06:09 > 0:06:13it doesn't tell you which British farmers it goes back to.

0:06:15 > 0:06:17So, where does the extra money go?

0:06:17 > 0:06:22Well, the 23p added to the price of milk Malcolm bought at Morrisons

0:06:22 > 0:06:25firstly goes to the UK's largest dairy company, Arla,

0:06:25 > 0:06:27who distributes the milk

0:06:27 > 0:06:31that they get from 12,700 dairy farms right across Europe.

0:06:31 > 0:06:34The money raised from the milk sales are then split

0:06:34 > 0:06:39between all of those farms and not just the 3,000 or so in the UK.

0:06:39 > 0:06:43That's left Malcolm feeling like the scheme isn't quite as good

0:06:43 > 0:06:45for British farmers as he first thought.

0:06:45 > 0:06:47So much so, that he's now considering

0:06:47 > 0:06:49not buying the milk altogether

0:06:49 > 0:06:52and that's what prompted him to write to us.

0:06:52 > 0:06:57I'd like to see the farmers get a fair price.

0:06:57 > 0:07:00At the moment, some farmers are getting a fair price

0:07:00 > 0:07:03and some are virtually on the breadline.

0:07:03 > 0:07:05Malcolm is in good company

0:07:05 > 0:07:08in his desire to support British dairy farmers.

0:07:08 > 0:07:11In fact, a recent survey suggested that half of all shoppers asked

0:07:11 > 0:07:14would be willing to pay more for their milk

0:07:14 > 0:07:17if it meant that the extra went to the farmers.

0:07:17 > 0:07:18So, in principle,

0:07:18 > 0:07:22the Milk For Farmers scheme should be right up his street,

0:07:22 > 0:07:24but now that he knows that the extra money raised

0:07:24 > 0:07:26isn't going solely to British farmers,

0:07:26 > 0:07:28is Malcolm right in considering

0:07:28 > 0:07:31that the Union flag on the bottle is slightly misleading?

0:07:31 > 0:07:34So, we decided to put this labelling to the test

0:07:34 > 0:07:37and ask the shoppers, here in Peterborough,

0:07:37 > 0:07:40who they think gets this 23p.

0:07:40 > 0:07:42Once they've guessed,

0:07:42 > 0:07:45I'll ask them to put a sweetie in the corresponding milk bottle

0:07:45 > 0:07:48for either the EU or Great Britain.

0:07:48 > 0:07:50Can I ask you both to take a look at this?

0:07:50 > 0:07:53"23p we give back to the farmer."

0:07:53 > 0:07:57Now, looking at that label, who do you reckon gets that 23p?

0:07:57 > 0:08:01- It should be OUR farmers, the British farmers, I think.- Yes.

0:08:01 > 0:08:06Yeah, with the Union Jack, "British Farmers" logo, yes.

0:08:09 > 0:08:11- I would guess British farmers. - British farmers.

0:08:13 > 0:08:16I would say British because you've got the Union Jack.

0:08:16 > 0:08:17And the "British" up there,

0:08:17 > 0:08:20so you'd say the British farmers, wouldn't you?

0:08:21 > 0:08:24I would say British and European,

0:08:24 > 0:08:27because it just says, "We give back to the farmer",

0:08:27 > 0:08:29so I would just presume straightaway

0:08:29 > 0:08:31that would be both European and British

0:08:31 > 0:08:34because it doesn't actually say, "British".

0:08:35 > 0:08:38- British farmers.- British farmers? Why do you think that?

0:08:38 > 0:08:40Cos it's got the British flag on it.

0:08:40 > 0:08:42Got the British flag on it. British milk bottle. There we go.

0:08:44 > 0:08:47- It's got a Union Jack on it. - It has got a Union Jack, hasn't it?

0:08:47 > 0:08:48If you were to pick that up,

0:08:48 > 0:08:51you'd say it went back to the British farmers.

0:08:52 > 0:08:55Only part of it goes to British farmers.

0:08:55 > 0:08:58It goes to farmers in Europe, including British farmers.

0:08:58 > 0:09:00- It's misleading.- It's misleading?

0:09:00 > 0:09:03Yeah, I think it should have the EU flag, in that case, not our flag.

0:09:03 > 0:09:06- Do you think that's fair? - No, definitely not.

0:09:06 > 0:09:08- Where should it go? - To the British farmers.

0:09:08 > 0:09:10It makes it out like it's going to the British.

0:09:10 > 0:09:14"We give 100% back to the farmer" and "British whole milk",

0:09:14 > 0:09:17so it should be "European whole milk".

0:09:17 > 0:09:19It's misleading cos of the flag.

0:09:19 > 0:09:21Because it's just got that flag on,

0:09:21 > 0:09:24- you'd assume it's just going to... - To the British.- Yeah.

0:09:24 > 0:09:26Out of the 31 people we asked,

0:09:26 > 0:09:30only seven thought that the extra money would be likely

0:09:30 > 0:09:33to benefit farmers outside the UK.

0:09:33 > 0:09:37The rest, like Malcolm, assumed it wouldn't go beyond our own shores.

0:09:37 > 0:09:39I have to admit I'm not that surprised

0:09:39 > 0:09:41that there were more shoppers, here in Peterborough,

0:09:41 > 0:09:44that assumed that that 23p was going to British dairy farmers,

0:09:44 > 0:09:46as opposed to the EU.

0:09:46 > 0:09:48I was a bit confused to start with myself.

0:09:48 > 0:09:51But, you know, nobody wants to knock an initiative

0:09:51 > 0:09:54that's aimed at helping hard-pressed dairy farmers,

0:09:54 > 0:09:56but I think our little straw poll demonstrates

0:09:56 > 0:10:00that really that labelling could be a bit clearer.

0:10:00 > 0:10:04But aside from the labelling, does the scheme benefit farmers

0:10:04 > 0:10:06in the way that Malcolm had initially hoped?

0:10:06 > 0:10:10Jonathan Ovens' family has owned this dairy farm,

0:10:10 > 0:10:13here in Wiltshire, for over 150 years.

0:10:13 > 0:10:15Come on then. Up you go. Come on.

0:10:15 > 0:10:19Jonathan supplies milk to Arla, so directly benefits

0:10:19 > 0:10:22from the extra 23p charged at supermarket Morrisons.

0:10:22 > 0:10:26He's keen to show Malcolm round his farm and provide reassurance

0:10:26 > 0:10:30that whatever confusion there might be, it IS a good idea.

0:10:30 > 0:10:33- Hi, Jonathan.- Hello, Malcolm. Jonathan Ovens, pleased to meet you.

0:10:33 > 0:10:35COW MOOS

0:10:35 > 0:10:37It's now milking time, Malcolm,

0:10:37 > 0:10:42and as you can see, that cow, she's currently produced 7.4 litres

0:10:42 > 0:10:47and I guess she's probably going to give about 16 litres this evening.

0:10:47 > 0:10:50The extra money raised from the Morrisons milk

0:10:50 > 0:10:53won't make the difference as to whether or not a farm

0:10:53 > 0:10:57stays in business but, for Jonathan, every penny counts.

0:10:57 > 0:11:00The milk the cow produces, how much would that be worth to you?

0:11:00 > 0:11:05Well, this cow here is going to give me about 40 litres in total today,

0:11:05 > 0:11:08so the value of that 40 litres from both milkings

0:11:08 > 0:11:11is going to be about £10.

0:11:11 > 0:11:13And, obviously, with Morrisons' initiative

0:11:13 > 0:11:16on paying the extra money for milk,

0:11:16 > 0:11:20that's helping my milk price and increasing the value of the milk

0:11:20 > 0:11:22that this cow has produced for me today.

0:11:22 > 0:11:25The Morrisons scheme was launched in September, 2015,

0:11:25 > 0:11:29and is expected to raise £4.5 million in its first year.

0:11:29 > 0:11:33But when you split that between all of Arla's dairy farms

0:11:33 > 0:11:38right across Europe, it works out at about £354.33 per farm.

0:11:38 > 0:11:41Not a huge amount.

0:11:41 > 0:11:42But Jonathan is confident that,

0:11:42 > 0:11:45with similar initiatives in other European countries

0:11:45 > 0:11:50also bringing money into the British farmers' pockets, it does all help.

0:11:50 > 0:11:53And, while Malcolm can see that it is a step in the right direction,

0:11:53 > 0:11:55he remains disgruntled

0:11:55 > 0:11:58that the money isn't ALL going where he thought it was.

0:11:58 > 0:12:02Seeing the Union Jack on the label, I presumed that all the 23p

0:12:02 > 0:12:06- was going to go to all the UK dairy farmers.- No, it doesn't.

0:12:06 > 0:12:11The Union Jack on the label signifies that it's British milk

0:12:11 > 0:12:14that the consumer's buying because we know the British consumer

0:12:14 > 0:12:18wants to be assured that it's British milk that they're buying.

0:12:18 > 0:12:23If I was to stop buying that extra 23p for four pints,

0:12:23 > 0:12:26would it have an effect on the milk price?

0:12:26 > 0:12:30Yes, I would get less for my milk as a result of you stopping buying it.

0:12:30 > 0:12:33What Morrisons have done is they've enabled you, the consumer,

0:12:33 > 0:12:37to make the conscious choice to pay that extra 23p for the milk

0:12:37 > 0:12:40and I believe you've done it in the knowledge

0:12:40 > 0:12:43that us, the farmers, are going to get that 23p.

0:12:43 > 0:12:45At the end of the day, it's all down to my choice.

0:12:45 > 0:12:47It's your choice and I would encourage you

0:12:47 > 0:12:49to continue to buy that milk

0:12:49 > 0:12:53because you're helping me, as a dairy farmer, directly.

0:12:54 > 0:12:56We asked Morrisons whether the labelling

0:12:56 > 0:12:59on its Milk For Farmers bottles is as clear as it could be

0:12:59 > 0:13:02and the store told us that, following feedback from customers,

0:13:02 > 0:13:05from early 2016, it has started to roll out

0:13:05 > 0:13:07new labelling on these products.

0:13:07 > 0:13:11It said the Union flag is still there because, Morrisons says,

0:13:11 > 0:13:15it represents the fact that the milk is British, but in addition,

0:13:15 > 0:13:19more information about how the Arla scheme works has now been added.

0:13:19 > 0:13:21Of course, Morrisons isn't the only supermarket

0:13:21 > 0:13:24to have introduced some sort of scheme

0:13:24 > 0:13:26through which they can claim to support dairy farmers.

0:13:26 > 0:13:30Asda told us that, under a long-term contract,

0:13:30 > 0:13:33its own-brand milk is also supplied by Arla

0:13:33 > 0:13:36and it bears Arla's "Farmer Owned" mark,

0:13:36 > 0:13:40which means that all earnings go back to farmers.

0:13:40 > 0:13:44M&S, Sainsbury's, the Co-op and Tesco all said

0:13:44 > 0:13:48that under their own schemes, they pay farmers fixed amounts

0:13:48 > 0:13:51that are not linked to volatile retail prices.

0:13:51 > 0:13:54M&S has been doing this for 16 years

0:13:54 > 0:13:57under its Milk Pledge Plus programme.

0:13:57 > 0:14:00It links the prices it pays to its 40-strong pool of farmers

0:14:00 > 0:14:03to the costs that THEY pay for production.

0:14:03 > 0:14:07As does Tesco, which told us that, since 2007,

0:14:07 > 0:14:11it has worked with farmers in its Sustainable Dairy Group,

0:14:11 > 0:14:14to set the price it pays them for its own-brand milk

0:14:14 > 0:14:16higher than the costs of production.

0:14:16 > 0:14:19Tesco says this means its British suppliers are paid...

0:14:22 > 0:14:26Sainsbury's said it reviews the set price it pays

0:14:26 > 0:14:30the 290 farmers supplying its own-brand milk every three months,

0:14:30 > 0:14:34working in collaboration with its Dairy Development Group.

0:14:34 > 0:14:37Sainsbury's told us that these farmers make a profit

0:14:37 > 0:14:39from every pint of milk sold.

0:14:39 > 0:14:42Meanwhile, the Co-op and Waitrose both told us that they, too, work

0:14:42 > 0:14:46in collaboration with farmers to set a fair price for their milk

0:14:46 > 0:14:49and that these prices are reviewed regularly.

0:14:51 > 0:14:53But while all that paints a very rosy picture,

0:14:53 > 0:14:57it's only a matter of months since protests from the dairy industry,

0:14:57 > 0:15:00which saw farmers herding cattle through supermarkets,

0:15:00 > 0:15:01led to the big names agreeing

0:15:01 > 0:15:04to increase the amount that they pay for milk

0:15:04 > 0:15:07and though that was welcomed by the National Farmers Union,

0:15:07 > 0:15:10it still claimed that some stores continue to pay

0:15:10 > 0:15:12less than the milk cost to produce.

0:15:14 > 0:15:16As for Malcolm,

0:15:16 > 0:15:19seeing how farmers like Jonathan can benefit from the Morrisons scheme,

0:15:19 > 0:15:22has restored his faith in it and he's now started paying

0:15:22 > 0:15:25that little bit extra for milk once again.

0:15:25 > 0:15:29Jonathan made me really understand about the running of the farms,

0:15:29 > 0:15:33of producing that extra pint to go on everybody's table,

0:15:33 > 0:15:37and if he can't make a profit, then his business will suffer

0:15:37 > 0:15:43so, therefore, what Morrisons have done to help them is a good idea.

0:15:43 > 0:15:46I will still buy it, hoping it will make a difference.

0:15:52 > 0:15:56Nearly eight billion pints of lager were consumed in Britain

0:15:56 > 0:15:59just last year alone and, while most of it is very heavily marketed

0:15:59 > 0:16:02as coming from overseas, in reality it's much more likely

0:16:02 > 0:16:05to come from somewhere much closer to home.

0:16:05 > 0:16:08So, if a beer is sold as being European,

0:16:08 > 0:16:10Asian, American, Australian

0:16:10 > 0:16:13or even if it has a label in a foreign language,

0:16:13 > 0:16:15does it actually matter if it's brewed

0:16:15 > 0:16:18in, say, Manchester or Northampton?

0:16:18 > 0:16:21We hit the town to find out how much drinkers really know

0:16:21 > 0:16:23about where their favourite tipple comes from

0:16:23 > 0:16:25and whether their enthusiasm goes a little bit flat

0:16:25 > 0:16:29when they find out that what they thought was a bit exotic

0:16:29 > 0:16:32actually has just benefitted from some very effective marketing.

0:16:34 > 0:16:36Wine may have now overtaken beer

0:16:36 > 0:16:39as Britain's most popular alcoholic drink,

0:16:39 > 0:16:41but the good old pint is enjoying a revival.

0:16:41 > 0:16:44Traditional British ales are back in fashion

0:16:44 > 0:16:47but lager is still the beer that Brits buy the most.

0:16:49 > 0:16:52And many of the best-selling brands are those we associate

0:16:52 > 0:16:55with either Continental Europe or even further afield

0:16:55 > 0:16:57and that's thanks

0:16:57 > 0:16:59to multimillion-pound marketing campaigns

0:16:59 > 0:17:01that champion their national heritage.

0:17:01 > 0:17:03You little ripper.

0:17:03 > 0:17:07Most foreign lagers are synonymous with their country of origin,

0:17:07 > 0:17:10so much so, that when we asked punters at this Manchester pub

0:17:10 > 0:17:14to guess the country of origin for these particular brews,

0:17:14 > 0:17:16most of them were right every time.

0:17:16 > 0:17:18Kronenbourg's French. France.

0:17:19 > 0:17:21Is it German beer?

0:17:21 > 0:17:23I would associate Becks with Germany.

0:17:24 > 0:17:26Cobra beer's associated with India.

0:17:27 > 0:17:28Australia, obviously.

0:17:30 > 0:17:32- San Miguel is associated with Spain.- Spain.

0:17:34 > 0:17:35Stella is from Belgium.

0:17:36 > 0:17:40Full marks. But the reality behind those slick marketing campaigns

0:17:40 > 0:17:43is a little different because, despite what you might think,

0:17:43 > 0:17:4890% of the UK's consumption of these apparently foreign brands

0:17:48 > 0:17:50is actually brewed right here in the UK.

0:17:51 > 0:17:55Take Foster's, for example, one of Britain's best-selling beers.

0:17:55 > 0:17:58One of its ads claimed the name was "Australian for lager".

0:17:59 > 0:18:02In 1888, William and Ralph Foster gave Australia

0:18:02 > 0:18:04its first taste of true refreshment.

0:18:06 > 0:18:08Based on the adverts, I'd definitely say Australia.

0:18:09 > 0:18:13In fact, the amber nectar in most of the UK's cans of Foster's

0:18:13 > 0:18:17is actually made, not Down Under, but in Manchester.

0:18:18 > 0:18:22And what's more synonymous with India than a bottle of Cobra?

0:18:24 > 0:18:27Cobra - splendidly Indian, superbly smooth.

0:18:27 > 0:18:31- I associate Cobra with India. - Just need a curry now.

0:18:33 > 0:18:36But most UK Cobras are brewed miles away from India,

0:18:36 > 0:18:38in fact, in Burton upon Trent.

0:18:40 > 0:18:44Next, a beer that conjures up sun, sand and the Spanish Costas -

0:18:44 > 0:18:45San Miguel.

0:18:47 > 0:18:51San Miguel. Now, that's a beer with an amazing story.

0:18:51 > 0:18:54I associate this beer with Spain.

0:18:55 > 0:18:58But most of the San Miguel you'll drink here in the UK

0:18:58 > 0:19:01is brewed in the not-so-hot Northampton.

0:19:03 > 0:19:05Take a good look and you'll see

0:19:05 > 0:19:08that these all these bottles do have a clear disclaimer,

0:19:08 > 0:19:10saying that they are, indeed, brewed in the UK.

0:19:10 > 0:19:13That message flashes up in the ads as well.

0:19:13 > 0:19:16But drink connoisseurs, like Jamie Goode,

0:19:16 > 0:19:18believe that the marketing of such lagers

0:19:18 > 0:19:20can be misleading to British drinkers,

0:19:20 > 0:19:24who may be tempted to pay more for these so-called foreign brands.

0:19:24 > 0:19:26I think we Brits quite like foreign things.

0:19:26 > 0:19:29We find them interesting and, when it comes to beer,

0:19:29 > 0:19:31I think the Brits, generally speaking,

0:19:31 > 0:19:34are prepared to pay more for beers that are foreign,

0:19:34 > 0:19:37that come from somewhere else, with a nice image associated with them.

0:19:37 > 0:19:40If you go into a pub, you'll see some of the most expensive lagers

0:19:40 > 0:19:43are the ones that are from other countries.

0:19:43 > 0:19:45Marketing of beer is interesting

0:19:45 > 0:19:48because it's not really about the flavour of the beer.

0:19:48 > 0:19:51That's not what the advertisers are pushing.

0:19:51 > 0:19:54They're trying to sell us the emotion, sell us the dream,

0:19:54 > 0:19:57and that's where foreign beers come in because they're selling us,

0:19:57 > 0:20:00not only the fact that this is a nice, tasty beer,

0:20:00 > 0:20:02they're selling us this exotic element

0:20:02 > 0:20:05that comes from the fact that this comes from somewhere else

0:20:05 > 0:20:07and there's something of the place in the flavour of the beer.

0:20:09 > 0:20:11So, after our pubgoers had been so definite

0:20:11 > 0:20:14about where they thought these lagers came from,

0:20:14 > 0:20:18how did they react when we revealed where they're really brewed?

0:20:18 > 0:20:22It's a Spanish beer, so I'd expect it to be brought over from Spain.

0:20:22 > 0:20:24It is a bit misleading if you're getting beers

0:20:24 > 0:20:27from foreign countries and we're brewing it here.

0:20:27 > 0:20:29It's not really coming from a foreign country, is it?

0:20:29 > 0:20:31If it tastes good, I don't think it should matter,

0:20:31 > 0:20:34but I don't think they should rip you off for drinking import beer

0:20:34 > 0:20:36when it's not import beer.

0:20:36 > 0:20:37It is misleading, isn't it?

0:20:37 > 0:20:41It shouldn't be brewed in Manchester when it's from Australia,

0:20:41 > 0:20:42supposedly, you know.

0:20:42 > 0:20:45I can't imagine the Aussies drinking that, myself.

0:20:45 > 0:20:47I don't mind where it's brewed as long as it was brewed

0:20:47 > 0:20:50to the same recipe as the country that it comes from.

0:20:50 > 0:20:53So, while some drinkers did feel they were being misled,

0:20:53 > 0:20:55others simply don't care where their lagers are brewed,

0:20:55 > 0:20:58as long as it all tastes nice.

0:20:58 > 0:21:01And that's a view the Advertising Standards Authority took

0:21:01 > 0:21:04over this 2014 ad from Kronenbourg.

0:21:04 > 0:21:06Featuring the former French

0:21:06 > 0:21:08and Manchester United football legend Eric Cantona,

0:21:08 > 0:21:13it plays on the whole idea that the lager embodies the French spirit.

0:21:14 > 0:21:18Here, in Alsace, things are a little bit different.

0:21:18 > 0:21:21The hop farmers are treated like the footballers of Britain.

0:21:22 > 0:21:25They are idolised and adored and why not?

0:21:25 > 0:21:27They are living legends.

0:21:29 > 0:21:31So, there you go.

0:21:31 > 0:21:33A complaint was made that the ad was misleading

0:21:33 > 0:21:36because it suggested the beer was brewed in France

0:21:36 > 0:21:38when, in actual fact, it was in Manchester.

0:21:38 > 0:21:42While, initially, it seemed the regulator would take the same view,

0:21:42 > 0:21:45ultimately it changed its mind and said that the ad was fine

0:21:45 > 0:21:48because its focus was on the hops used to produce the beer,

0:21:48 > 0:21:53which were sourced in France, rather than the brewing process itself.

0:21:53 > 0:21:56But, in the end, does it really matter where the beer is made?

0:21:56 > 0:21:58Some lager fans may argue

0:21:58 > 0:22:01that drinks brewed abroad do taste better...

0:22:02 > 0:22:04..and independent brewer, Glenn Jones,

0:22:04 > 0:22:07who runs the Dunscar Brewery in Manchester,

0:22:07 > 0:22:10believes there is some truth in that, because the varying taste

0:22:10 > 0:22:14of local water can affect the taste of the final product.

0:22:14 > 0:22:17For that reason, he believes the marketing, not just the labels,

0:22:17 > 0:22:21should properly reflect where the product is actually brewed.

0:22:22 > 0:22:25The place where a brewery is located can have a huge effect

0:22:25 > 0:22:27on the types of beer that it produces

0:22:27 > 0:22:30or the types of beer that it can produce well.

0:22:30 > 0:22:35For example, in this area, we have very soft, very high-quality water.

0:22:35 > 0:22:37We're blessed with water that comes from the Lake District

0:22:37 > 0:22:40or from even closer, on the North Pennine Moors.

0:22:40 > 0:22:43It's very soft and very suitable for a range of beers.

0:22:43 > 0:22:47In Burton on Trent, for example, you have water that's ideal

0:22:47 > 0:22:50for lighter-coloured, almost sweeter beers.

0:22:50 > 0:22:54If you went to Aberdeen or to Dublin, for example,

0:22:54 > 0:22:58you'd get water that was ideal for darker stouts.

0:22:58 > 0:23:02And that can very much dictate the kind of beer that you make.

0:23:04 > 0:23:07So, the thinking goes that local water may similarly affect

0:23:07 > 0:23:09the taste of lagers as well

0:23:09 > 0:23:12and Graham's not convinced that attempts to tackle that

0:23:12 > 0:23:14will ever be completely successful.

0:23:14 > 0:23:17So, if you were trying to emulate the flavour of a beer

0:23:17 > 0:23:20from Continental Europe - that could be a lager or a pilsner lager,

0:23:20 > 0:23:23for example, which could be brewed in Germany, in Munich,

0:23:23 > 0:23:26down through Austria or Czechoslovakia,

0:23:26 > 0:23:30where these great lager beers are produced,

0:23:30 > 0:23:35it's possible, but it involves an awful lot of chemistry

0:23:35 > 0:23:38to try to copy the water in those areas.

0:23:38 > 0:23:41It will add to the cost considerably

0:23:41 > 0:23:44and you'll never get it exactly right

0:23:44 > 0:23:46because water quality varies day to day.

0:23:46 > 0:23:50Meanwhile, a British brewer found himself criticised

0:23:50 > 0:23:52for exactly the same thing as all those lagers.

0:23:54 > 0:23:58Sharp's Doom Bar was accused of overegging its Cornish heritage,

0:23:58 > 0:24:02with no less than seven proud references to Cornwall on its label,

0:24:02 > 0:24:05when it was actually brewed in Burton upon Trent,

0:24:05 > 0:24:06almost 300 miles away.

0:24:09 > 0:24:10The beer's manufacturer told us

0:24:10 > 0:24:13that it shifted production of its bottled Doom Bar

0:24:13 > 0:24:15to meet unprecedented demand.

0:24:15 > 0:24:18It said the beer's Cornish roots are still referenced on the bottle

0:24:18 > 0:24:21to represent its home and heritage

0:24:21 > 0:24:24and stressed that all of Doom Bar's cask beer,

0:24:24 > 0:24:26making up 80% of its production,

0:24:26 > 0:24:29is still brewed and packaged in Rock in Cornwall.

0:24:29 > 0:24:32We also spoke to the brewers of all those lagers

0:24:32 > 0:24:35commonly associated with more far-flung lands.

0:24:35 > 0:24:38All said they are proud to brew their beers in the UK,

0:24:38 > 0:24:41while reiterating that they don't make any secret of this fact

0:24:41 > 0:24:43on their labels.

0:24:43 > 0:24:47Heineken UK, which makes Foster's and Kronenbourg's 1664, told us

0:24:47 > 0:24:51that brewing in Britain provides employment to thousands of people

0:24:51 > 0:24:54and contributes millions of pounds to the economy,

0:24:54 > 0:24:56while very reasonably pointing out that...

0:25:02 > 0:25:06The companies all emphasized that the heritage of their beers

0:25:06 > 0:25:09is firmly rooted in the countries they're associated with,

0:25:09 > 0:25:13with many of them still using the same recipes or even ingredients

0:25:13 > 0:25:15as they were when they were first brewed.

0:25:15 > 0:25:19Foster's, for example, still uses the same Australian yeast.

0:25:21 > 0:25:25But, for Jamie, it's all about transparency for the customer

0:25:25 > 0:25:27and he reckons that the growth in popularity

0:25:27 > 0:25:29of traditional British ales is a sign

0:25:29 > 0:25:33that the novelty of those not-quite-so-foreign lagers

0:25:33 > 0:25:35may be starting to fade.

0:25:35 > 0:25:39I would urge the big brewers to make it clearer

0:25:39 > 0:25:41which beers are actually imported

0:25:41 > 0:25:44and which beers are produced under licence here in the UK.

0:25:44 > 0:25:47One of the great things this resurgence of interest

0:25:47 > 0:25:49in British beer has done,

0:25:49 > 0:25:51is it means that people are moving away

0:25:51 > 0:25:54from this conspicuous consumption,

0:25:54 > 0:25:57this "I've got this posh foreign lager in my glass

0:25:57 > 0:26:00"that doesn't actually taste particularly different

0:26:00 > 0:26:02"or particularly foreign", and then moving towards,

0:26:02 > 0:26:04"Actually, I've got an authentic product in my glass

0:26:04 > 0:26:07"that tastes interesting and is something we can be proud of."

0:26:14 > 0:26:17Still to come on Rip-Off Britain, frying tonight.

0:26:17 > 0:26:19But has the cost of traditional fish and chips

0:26:19 > 0:26:22risen faster than it should?

0:26:22 > 0:26:24Put the fish straight into the batter. Just pop it in there.

0:26:24 > 0:26:28I can feel fish and chip people laughing up and down the country.

0:26:32 > 0:26:34We're talking today about food

0:26:34 > 0:26:37either made or associated with the UK.

0:26:37 > 0:26:40But if you're heading abroad, it's all too easy to get it wrong

0:26:40 > 0:26:43when seeking out authentic local tastes.

0:26:43 > 0:26:47Things we take for granted at home can suddenly become major faux pas.

0:26:49 > 0:26:52So, we asked travel writer Simon Calder for advice

0:26:52 > 0:26:53on how to avoid falling foul

0:26:53 > 0:26:56of the customs of the country you're visiting,

0:26:56 > 0:27:00starting in a destination not too far away from home.

0:27:00 > 0:27:05No sooner are you across the Channel than the tricky etiquette begins.

0:27:05 > 0:27:07You're in a fancy French restaurant

0:27:07 > 0:27:11and the waiter brings you some bread. Merci, monsieur.

0:27:11 > 0:27:15Whatever you do, don't start cutting it up with a knife.

0:27:15 > 0:27:21Pull it apart and don't start nibbling before the food arrives.

0:27:21 > 0:27:25The French are taught from childhood that it spoils the appetite.

0:27:26 > 0:27:29And if you're venturing further afield,

0:27:29 > 0:27:31watch how you behave at the table.

0:27:31 > 0:27:35I think the freshest, most delicious food in the world

0:27:35 > 0:27:37is probably in Japan.

0:27:37 > 0:27:40But you have to be very careful with your manners,

0:27:40 > 0:27:43particularly when it comes to chopsticks

0:27:43 > 0:27:44or hashi, as they're known.

0:27:44 > 0:27:50Never cross your chopsticks on the table or a plate.

0:27:50 > 0:27:52Don't wave them around in the same way

0:27:52 > 0:27:56that you might do to make a point when you've got a fork in your hand.

0:27:56 > 0:28:00And certainly don't use them to spear your food.

0:28:00 > 0:28:03Pick it up daintily with your chopsticks instead.

0:28:06 > 0:28:08Ah, tasty and cheap.

0:28:08 > 0:28:13No, not me - a lovely bowl of Japanese noodles.

0:28:13 > 0:28:17Best of all, if you make slurping noises when you're eating them,

0:28:17 > 0:28:20it's not considered rude, it's a good thing.

0:28:20 > 0:28:22It means you're really appreciating them.

0:28:22 > 0:28:23HE SLURPS

0:28:23 > 0:28:27Mmm. Mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm.

0:28:27 > 0:28:30Delicious. Make sure you've done your research

0:28:30 > 0:28:32so that you don't accidentally cause offence.

0:28:32 > 0:28:36During Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting,

0:28:36 > 0:28:42Muslims are expected not to eat or drink during the hours of daylight.

0:28:42 > 0:28:45If you're travelling to an Islamic country

0:28:45 > 0:28:48and you're not a Muslim, then you need to do some planning.

0:28:48 > 0:28:52You can ask around for tourist restaurants which might be open

0:28:52 > 0:28:58or, perhaps a better plan, source some supplies from the local market,

0:28:58 > 0:29:00but don't eat in public.

0:29:00 > 0:29:04It would be considered, at the very least, impolite.

0:29:04 > 0:29:07Oh, and if you're one of the dwindling band of smokers,

0:29:07 > 0:29:13be aware that Ramadan also means no smoking during the day.

0:29:14 > 0:29:18Finally, a tip that only Simon could come up with.

0:29:18 > 0:29:21In Russia, one or two evenings

0:29:21 > 0:29:25could see you getting involved in a vodka-drinking session

0:29:25 > 0:29:29where the tradition is that every single shot

0:29:29 > 0:29:33needs to be downed in one go. Na zdorovie.

0:29:35 > 0:29:38Now, this isn't necessarily good for your health.

0:29:38 > 0:29:40Nyet, spasiba. No, thank you.

0:29:40 > 0:29:44The best way to avoid problems is to tell everybody,

0:29:44 > 0:29:48"Ya alkogolik", "I'm an alcoholic".

0:29:48 > 0:29:50Might sound extreme but it works.

0:29:56 > 0:30:00What's your favourite food? Well, among us Brits,

0:30:00 > 0:30:03curries and roast chicken come pretty high on the list

0:30:03 > 0:30:06and so, of course, does fish and chips.

0:30:06 > 0:30:08In fact, would you believe that every year,

0:30:08 > 0:30:11we spend more than £1 billion on satisfying our appetite for them.

0:30:11 > 0:30:14And though the fish and chips may not have changed too much

0:30:14 > 0:30:17over the years, what you pay for them may well have done.

0:30:17 > 0:30:20And that's what our next viewer wrote to us about.

0:30:20 > 0:30:23He's been buying fish and chips for over 40 years

0:30:23 > 0:30:24and he wants to know why,

0:30:24 > 0:30:28when his meal is almost identical to the one he bought decades ago,

0:30:28 > 0:30:32he's now paying so much more for the privilege of eating it.

0:30:34 > 0:30:37Fish and chips consumption is on the rise

0:30:37 > 0:30:40and while it's still a long way short of its First World War heyday,

0:30:40 > 0:30:44we now eat some 382 million portions every year.

0:30:44 > 0:30:46That's about six servings

0:30:46 > 0:30:49for every man, woman and child in the country.

0:30:49 > 0:30:52But, as the popularity of fish and chips has shot up,

0:30:52 > 0:30:54has its price gone the same way?

0:30:54 > 0:30:57Well, that's certainly the suspicion of Rip-Off Britain viewer

0:30:57 > 0:31:01and dedicated fish-and-chipper John Spicer from Bodmin.

0:31:02 > 0:31:04John said that in 1960, he remembers

0:31:04 > 0:31:07a fish and chip supper cost one and sixpence.

0:31:07 > 0:31:10I'd love to be able to say I'm far too young

0:31:10 > 0:31:13to remember what that means but, in fact, I know

0:31:13 > 0:31:16it works out at about £1.54 in today's money

0:31:16 > 0:31:18and you don't need me to tell you that these days,

0:31:18 > 0:31:21you're likely to have to pay a whole lot more than that

0:31:21 > 0:31:22for your fish and chips.

0:31:23 > 0:31:27John pays between £6 and £8 for his fish and chips

0:31:27 > 0:31:29and says he'd like to know why. It seems to him

0:31:29 > 0:31:33the cost has risen four times more than the rate of inflation.

0:31:33 > 0:31:36So, is he right that the price of fish and chips,

0:31:36 > 0:31:40still the UK's favourite dish, has gone up more than it should?

0:31:41 > 0:31:43A good place to start

0:31:43 > 0:31:47is by asking one of the UK's biggest fish and chips suppliers.

0:31:47 > 0:31:50VA Whitley has been a family business for well over 100 years.

0:31:50 > 0:31:55Its founder's grandson, Tony Rogers, is now the company's chairman.

0:31:55 > 0:31:58But it's clear this isn't a question with a simple answer.

0:32:00 > 0:32:04So, Tony, what affects the cost of fish and chips?

0:32:04 > 0:32:07Well, it's, basically, down to supply and demand.

0:32:07 > 0:32:09For example, in the restaurant world,

0:32:09 > 0:32:12there's been a heck of a run on sea bass,

0:32:12 > 0:32:16so sea bass has been overcaught and now it's getting fairly short

0:32:16 > 0:32:19and, as a consequence, more expensive.

0:32:19 > 0:32:23Obviously, you have to pass your own costs on to your customers

0:32:23 > 0:32:26- who are the fish and chip shops. - Yes.

0:32:28 > 0:32:31So, once the suppliers' prices go up,

0:32:31 > 0:32:33that increase is passed on to the individual shops

0:32:33 > 0:32:35and to find out what determines

0:32:35 > 0:32:38the price you and I then pay over the counter,

0:32:38 > 0:32:40Tony and his son, Chris, are dropping me off

0:32:40 > 0:32:42at the one of the outlets they deliver to.

0:32:44 > 0:32:48- How many fish and chip shops do you supply?- Around 2,000.

0:32:48 > 0:32:51Wow, that's a lot! And is that all in this area?

0:32:51 > 0:32:57No, we're spread all around the wider northwest

0:32:57 > 0:32:59and northern half of Wales.

0:32:59 > 0:33:02The Bridge restaurant is in Norden, Greater Manchester,

0:33:02 > 0:33:06where a standard fish and chips is £4.90.

0:33:06 > 0:33:09It's the owner, Tom, who has to deal with all the fluctuations

0:33:09 > 0:33:13in those wholesale costs and he's got a surprising way of doing it.

0:33:13 > 0:33:17So, Tom, tell me what goes into the pricing of fish and chips?

0:33:17 > 0:33:19We buy our fish in fresh

0:33:19 > 0:33:22so, obviously, that's dependent on the market prices.

0:33:22 > 0:33:24Obviously, potatoes, they range in price quite a lot,

0:33:24 > 0:33:28so it's just a case of what the market predicts.

0:33:28 > 0:33:30We try and set our prices

0:33:30 > 0:33:33so we're not raising them and lowering them throughout the year.

0:33:33 > 0:33:35I don't understand how that works, though,

0:33:35 > 0:33:37because if the cost of the individual commodities

0:33:37 > 0:33:41are going up and down, how do you manage to keep your prices level?

0:33:41 > 0:33:43It's very tough.

0:33:43 > 0:33:46Sometimes we're not making a great deal of money on the product,

0:33:46 > 0:33:48other times we're making a living out of it.

0:33:48 > 0:33:52It's just dependent on, like I say, what the market predictions are.

0:33:52 > 0:33:56A good example of how costs to a business like this can vary

0:33:56 > 0:33:58is with cod.

0:33:58 > 0:34:02Up until 2015, it was on the Marine Conservation Society's

0:34:02 > 0:34:04endangered list of fish.

0:34:04 > 0:34:08But now, its numbers are back up, as is our appetite for it

0:34:08 > 0:34:11and if there's plenty more fish in the sea, that's good news for Tom.

0:34:11 > 0:34:15If there's more fish available, obviously, the price comes down.

0:34:15 > 0:34:18- And is that reflected in your prices then?- Not necessarily, no,

0:34:18 > 0:34:22because we need to forecast whether the price is going up as well,

0:34:22 > 0:34:24so we need to set a constant price

0:34:24 > 0:34:27where it's fair to the customers and fair to ourselves.

0:34:28 > 0:34:31But as well as the changing costs of the ingredients,

0:34:31 > 0:34:34what else bumps up the bill in our chippies?

0:34:34 > 0:34:37One thing harder to price is the skill and time it takes

0:34:37 > 0:34:39to prepare the food they serve.

0:34:39 > 0:34:43Though these guys make it look easy, let me tell you, it's anything but.

0:34:45 > 0:34:47I'll show you how to do fish and chips the Northern way.

0:34:47 > 0:34:51- Oh, I can't wait. This is a sleeves-rolled-up job.- Yeah.

0:34:51 > 0:34:54What I'd like you to do is take this lovely piece of fish,

0:34:54 > 0:34:57pop it in the flour here. Coat both sides.

0:34:57 > 0:35:00- Am I doing it the right way? - You certainly are. Natural already.

0:35:00 > 0:35:03This flicking thing. I have watched them doing it.

0:35:03 > 0:35:05- That's plenty of flour on there.- OK.

0:35:05 > 0:35:07If we turn around, keep hold of the fish,

0:35:07 > 0:35:09you don't want to be dropping it.

0:35:09 > 0:35:12Put the fish straight into the batter. Just pop it in there.

0:35:12 > 0:35:15So, if you grab the tail again, turn it over the other side.

0:35:15 > 0:35:18You're coating both sides with the batter.

0:35:18 > 0:35:20I can feel fish and chip people laughing

0:35:20 > 0:35:23- up and down the country, watching this.- No, it takes time to learn.

0:35:23 > 0:35:24- Pick it up by the tail.- Yeah.

0:35:24 > 0:35:26Use one hand, turn the fish the other way round now.

0:35:26 > 0:35:30Scrape just a little bit of excess batter off the fish. That's perfect.

0:35:30 > 0:35:33- I've seen that.- That's plenty. Then we'll pop this in now.

0:35:33 > 0:35:35Belly down, like this way,

0:35:35 > 0:35:38and sort of flick it towards the back of the pan. That's it.

0:35:38 > 0:35:41- Nearly. Nearly killed us.- I'm spraying a lot of batter around.

0:35:41 > 0:35:44- Does that matter?- That's part of the job.- Oh, is it? OK.

0:35:44 > 0:35:46When I come home, my wife often comments

0:35:46 > 0:35:49that I look like a painter and decorator.

0:35:49 > 0:35:52- Cos it's all down your trousers? - Absolutely.- OK.

0:35:52 > 0:35:53Just minutes later,

0:35:53 > 0:35:57let's see how my first attempt at frying fish has turned out.

0:35:57 > 0:35:59- So, if we take the fish out now. - Yeah.

0:35:59 > 0:36:02If you'd like to give it a quick poke with a finger.

0:36:02 > 0:36:06- How does that feel? - It looks and feels divine.- Crispy.

0:36:07 > 0:36:09Well, now I know the tricks of the trade,

0:36:09 > 0:36:13I'm heading five miles down the road to Tompsons chippy in Bury,

0:36:13 > 0:36:15where its 85-year-old owner, Jack,

0:36:15 > 0:36:17may be able to help answer that question

0:36:17 > 0:36:20about whether prices really have risen more than they should.

0:36:20 > 0:36:22He's been here since the 1970s,

0:36:22 > 0:36:26although his daughter, Caroline, has now taken the business on.

0:36:26 > 0:36:28And when it comes to the cost of it,

0:36:28 > 0:36:31when did you last put your prices up?

0:36:31 > 0:36:33We haven't put our prices up for over five years now.

0:36:33 > 0:36:35- That's remarkable.- Yeah.

0:36:35 > 0:36:37Even though the cost of fish

0:36:37 > 0:36:40and the cost of potatoes and so on has fluctuated?

0:36:40 > 0:36:43I don't think you can keep putting your prices up

0:36:43 > 0:36:45cos I think people would get quite disgruntled,

0:36:45 > 0:36:48so sometimes you just have to swallow it.

0:36:48 > 0:36:51It's a bitter pill to swallow, but it's just a fact.

0:36:52 > 0:36:55Fish and chips has always been thought of as an affordable treat.

0:36:55 > 0:36:59Here, at Tompsons, a standard portion is £4.70

0:36:59 > 0:37:02and Jack, who's been frying for the last 40 years,

0:37:02 > 0:37:04thinks that, while the prices have gone up,

0:37:04 > 0:37:07it's all in line with everything else.

0:37:07 > 0:37:10Looking back at the 1970s, when you started out,

0:37:10 > 0:37:14what difference have you noticed in the price of fish and chips?

0:37:14 > 0:37:17Well, to a person like me, at my age,

0:37:17 > 0:37:20I think they've increased quite a lot.

0:37:20 > 0:37:24But then when I go for a drink, like a gin and tonic,

0:37:24 > 0:37:27I think that's increased quite a lot as well,

0:37:27 > 0:37:30and in comparison, I would say that they're very equal.

0:37:30 > 0:37:32So, in other words, they've kept pace

0:37:32 > 0:37:35- with everything that you could compare them to?- Yes.

0:37:36 > 0:37:38What's more, Jack reckons

0:37:38 > 0:37:41these days we're getting a bigger fish for our money.

0:37:41 > 0:37:45I'd say the portions now are twice as high as what they were then.

0:37:45 > 0:37:49We used to do a 2oz, now they're 4oz or 6oz.

0:37:49 > 0:37:51And the chips they give now

0:37:51 > 0:37:54are a hell of a lot more than we used to give.

0:37:55 > 0:37:59It's not just Jack who'd say that the portion sizes have rocketed.

0:37:59 > 0:38:01Supplier Tony agrees.

0:38:01 > 0:38:04His own research shows that the average size

0:38:04 > 0:38:08of a standard fish was 2.5oz, back in the 1960s,

0:38:08 > 0:38:10which he puts down to the hangover from post-war rationing.

0:38:10 > 0:38:15Today he says that a portion of fish has increased dramatically

0:38:15 > 0:38:18and there's a distinct north-south divide.

0:38:18 > 0:38:23In the north, the average size is between 6oz and 8oz.

0:38:24 > 0:38:27But in the south, it's 8oz to 12oz.

0:38:27 > 0:38:28Either way, according to Tony,

0:38:28 > 0:38:32you're getting much more than you would have done in the 1960s,

0:38:32 > 0:38:33when the average helping

0:38:33 > 0:38:36was more like our mini fish and chips option today.

0:38:38 > 0:38:40And in line with many other industries,

0:38:40 > 0:38:42developments in technology has meant

0:38:42 > 0:38:45that customers' demands for chips can be more easily met too.

0:38:45 > 0:38:47Unlike frying fish,

0:38:47 > 0:38:51preparing spuds is an area in which I do have some expertise.

0:38:52 > 0:38:55Right, I think it's time I tackled some potatoes.

0:38:55 > 0:38:57You don't need that! Watch this!

0:38:59 > 0:39:02Oh, my goodness! That is unbelievable!

0:39:02 > 0:39:04I don't know anyone who can chop as fast as that.

0:39:04 > 0:39:07- The perfect chip.- That is amazing.

0:39:09 > 0:39:11So, is it correct that the price of fish

0:39:11 > 0:39:13we eat at our chippies has rocketed?

0:39:13 > 0:39:16Here at Rip-Off Britain, we tried to work it out.

0:39:16 > 0:39:19With so many sizes, prices and outlets across the UK,

0:39:19 > 0:39:22pinning down just one average national price

0:39:22 > 0:39:24for our fish and chips isn't easy.

0:39:24 > 0:39:26But taking everything into account,

0:39:26 > 0:39:30some analysts have estimated it to be around £3.30,

0:39:30 > 0:39:32rising to £5.50 in London.

0:39:32 > 0:39:35The industry itself doesn't have an official figure,

0:39:35 > 0:39:39but its own comparisons would probably put the costs

0:39:39 > 0:39:42a little higher, with a good deal of regional variation.

0:39:42 > 0:39:44Unsurprisingly, they found

0:39:44 > 0:39:46the priciest fish and chips were in London,

0:39:46 > 0:39:49where a standard cod or haddock and chips

0:39:49 > 0:39:51can be as much as £9.90 a portion.

0:39:51 > 0:39:56Scotland wasn't far behind, with the most expensive around £9.50,

0:39:56 > 0:40:00although in some places, you'd pay only half that.

0:40:00 > 0:40:03In Northern Ireland, prices were typically around £6.40

0:40:03 > 0:40:07and the cheapest chippies overall were in the Midlands,

0:40:07 > 0:40:12where you'd typically pay anything between £4.50 and £6.95.

0:40:12 > 0:40:15Now, that's by no means a comprehensive survey

0:40:15 > 0:40:18and you'll no doubt know individual places

0:40:18 > 0:40:20where you can pick up a portion for more

0:40:20 > 0:40:23or, with any luck, less than those industry figures.

0:40:23 > 0:40:26But what's interesting is that, once you take a closer look,

0:40:26 > 0:40:29they may not show as much of a rise

0:40:29 > 0:40:32as John from Bodmin had feared when he wrote to us.

0:40:32 > 0:40:35Once you've taken into account those bigger portion sizes

0:40:35 > 0:40:38and added on 20% VAT, which wasn't included

0:40:38 > 0:40:42in the price of fish and chips before the early 1980s,

0:40:42 > 0:40:45the modern equivalent of the one shilling and sixpence

0:40:45 > 0:40:49he used to pay works out at around £6.66.

0:40:49 > 0:40:52That's not far off the typical prices

0:40:52 > 0:40:54I've seen on MY fish deliveries.

0:40:54 > 0:40:58And fish and chip shop owner Jack agrees.

0:40:58 > 0:41:00So, people who perhaps complain now

0:41:00 > 0:41:03- about the price of fish and chips... - Mmm.

0:41:03 > 0:41:06Do you have sympathy with them or do you think they've got it wrong?

0:41:06 > 0:41:08I think they've got it wrong.

0:41:08 > 0:41:12If you compare with other prices, it's just...

0:41:13 > 0:41:14..almost the same.

0:41:14 > 0:41:17So, John from Bodmin, I hope what we've found out

0:41:17 > 0:41:20has gone some way to answering why it may seem

0:41:20 > 0:41:23as if your fish and chips are now much more expensive.

0:41:23 > 0:41:25In fact, because your fish are now bigger

0:41:25 > 0:41:27and these days, we pay VAT on food,

0:41:27 > 0:41:30the amount you're shelling out today is pretty comparable

0:41:30 > 0:41:33with what you would have paid if that had been the case back then.

0:41:33 > 0:41:36So, John, you are not being ripped off.

0:41:36 > 0:41:40And, equally important, the chips still taste just as good.

0:41:41 > 0:41:43Mmm, yum.

0:41:48 > 0:41:50If you have a story that you'd like us to investigate,

0:41:50 > 0:41:56then do get in touch with us via our Facebook page, BBC Rip-Off Britain.

0:41:56 > 0:42:01Our website is bbc.co.uk/ripoffbritain.

0:42:01 > 0:42:03Or you can email us at...

0:42:06 > 0:42:10Or, indeed, if you want to send us a letter, our address is...

0:42:21 > 0:42:23Well, I don't know about you,

0:42:23 > 0:42:25but after watching that report by Julia,

0:42:25 > 0:42:27all I can think of is fish and chips.

0:42:27 > 0:42:29Well, I can cook them for you now.

0:42:29 > 0:42:31- All right, your house tomorrow night then.- Absolutely.

0:42:31 > 0:42:34But if you think that you're paying over the odds for anything,

0:42:34 > 0:42:35then do please let us know.

0:42:35 > 0:42:38And it's not just problems or questions to do with what you eat

0:42:38 > 0:42:40that we want to hear about.

0:42:40 > 0:42:42It could be any consumer problem whatsoever.

0:42:42 > 0:42:45That's because we've got plenty more Rip-Off Britain programmes

0:42:45 > 0:42:47coming up over the next few months,

0:42:47 > 0:42:49so it's not just for this series on food

0:42:49 > 0:42:52that your emails and letters are our bread and butter.

0:42:52 > 0:42:56Any situation that's left you feeling let-down or out of pocket,

0:42:56 > 0:42:57just get in touch with us

0:42:57 > 0:43:00and, if we can, we'll do our very best to help, won't we?

0:43:00 > 0:43:03We really do appreciate all your emails and letters

0:43:03 > 0:43:05and we're only sorry that there isn't time

0:43:05 > 0:43:06to look into all of them, aren't we?

0:43:06 > 0:43:10But remember, you can always find tips and advice on our website.

0:43:13 > 0:43:15Even when we're not on the air,

0:43:15 > 0:43:18you can join the conversations on our Facebook page.

0:43:18 > 0:43:20But we'll see you again very soon with more of your stories,

0:43:20 > 0:43:23- so until then, from all of us, goodbye.- Bye-bye.- Bye-bye.