Chippies say fish box idea won't catch on

11 hours ago

David McKenna,East Yorkshire and Lincolnshireand

Phillip Norton,Cleethorpes

One fish and chip shop manager says it is not practical to use anything other than a box

Getty Images Over the shoulder shot of a worker holding a salt pot over a portion of fish and chips. The food is inside a carboard box with a lid. — One fish and chip shop manager says it is not practical to use anything other than a box

Fish and chip shops in Cleethorpes have rejected calls to do away with cardboard serving boxes this summer to help reduce waste.

Andrew Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish Friers, said boxes could easily be flattened after use.

Local chip shop worker Oliver Pritchard described it as a "non-issue".

North East Lincolnshire Council brought in additional bins in May, but council leader Oliver Freeston claimed "chippy boxes" were a "massive issue" due to the amount of space they took up in a bin.

Andrew Crook, of the National Federation of Fish Friers, says the onus should not be on businesses

A smiling man standing behind the counter of a fish and chip shop. He is wearing a white overall and has greyish hair. — Andrew Crook, of the National Federation of Fish Friers, says the onus should not be on businesses

Crook said the onus should not be on the businesses, adding the council needed to provide more resources, if necessary.

Meanwhile, Pritchard added: "I don't really get why he [Freeston] has brought it up - it's just virtue signalling."

Jade Shearer, manager at Ernie Beckett's restaurant, said while she understood the issue, it was not practical to do away with cardboard serving boxes.

"We do deliveries, and we can't exactly deliver in paper because it will just end up as mush for the customer."

She added: "I understand it fills up the bins, but there aren't enough bins."

In a social media post, Freeston wrote: "I will write to the local chip shop owners and ask if they will consider not using boxes, even just during the summer, to alleviate the problem.

"They might not agree, but we can try."

The council previously said it would continue to monitor the situation and would consider introducing more bins should it be deemed necessary.

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