#245: Fish prices, delivery apps and margins with Jamie Russo and Charlie Collins

Episode 245 of the Ceres Podcast brings together three operators who live and breathe the fish and chip industry every single day. Host Stelios Theocharous is joined by Jamie Russo from Redcloak Fish Bar in Stonehaven and Charlie Collins from Frydales in Leicester for a wide-ranging and refreshingly honest discussion about what is really happening in the trade right now.

Rather than following a polished interview format, the episode quickly settles into something far more valuable. It becomes an open conversation between business owners dealing with rising costs, changing customer behaviour, staffing pressures and the realities of running modern fish and chip shops.

From the opening moments, listeners are dropped straight into the topic every operator is talking about: trade. Jamie Russo explains that the year started strongly before weather disruptions in Scotland temporarily forced him to close. Charlie Collins shares a similar experience, with strong early trading followed by changing customer habits and growing delivery demand.

One of the most interesting themes throughout the episode is the difference between turnover and actual footfall. The discussion highlights how many shops may appear busier financially while actually serving fewer customers due to higher menu prices and rising commodity costs.

Fish pricing becomes a major talking point. Jamie Russo gives a detailed breakdown of haddock pricing in Scotland, describing periods where prices reached as high as £22 per kilo. Charlie Collins offers a Midlands perspective, explaining how he strategically shifted customers from cod towards haddock through menu positioning, pricing and staff training.

One particularly valuable insight comes when Charlie explains how subtle menu changes influenced customer behaviour:

“People coming in, ‘fish and chips,’ just automatically put down haddock and chips. And if they question you, then you can go, ‘Oh, you can have cod, but it’s £1.50 more.’ 99% of people then go, ‘Oh, no, no, no, haddock’s fine.’”

The episode also explores whether consumers truly understand rising fish prices. Stelios Theocharous shares a conversation with a customer who described fish and chips as expensive without actually knowing the current price. The wider discussion raises an important point for hospitality operators: perception often matters more than reality.

Another standout section focuses on alternative fish species and customer psychology. Charlie Collins explains how a heavily discounted tilapia offer generated huge sales volumes, yet customers became hesitant once they realised it was not cod or haddock. The conversation reveals how deeply traditional buying habits still influence the fish and chip industry.

The discussion around menus and operational simplicity will resonate strongly with takeaway owners and hospitality professionals. Charlie argues that many shops are making life harder for themselves by overcomplicating menus with kebabs, burgers and products that slow service down.

His perspective is direct and practical:

“If you can’t have it ready at peak time on a Friday night, what’s it doing there?”

Jamie Russo agrees, explaining how Scottish fish and chip shops often carry larger menus but still need to review low-performing products carefully to protect labour efficiency and profitability.

The conversation also moves into delivery platforms, with Charlie sharing detailed insight into using Just Eat, Uber Eats and Deliveroo to grow volume. Jamie explains why his business continues to rely on its own ordering platform instead. The contrast between a city-based operation and a more remote Scottish location gives listeners a realistic view of how different strategies suit different markets.

One of the most compelling sections comes when the discussion shifts beyond fish and chips entirely. Jamie Russo talks about launching his mobile Neapolitan pizza business, Sees A Slice, alongside Murray Watson from The Carron.

The pizza discussion opens up wider questions about branding, margins and customer expectations. Stelios Theocharous challenges why the fish and chip industry focuses so heavily on pricing while pizza businesses confidently sell premium products at higher price points.

That leads into one of the episode’s strongest themes: marketing.

Charlie Collins compares the current fish and chip industry to where burgers and coffee businesses were years ago. He argues that operators need to improve branding, presentation and customer experience if they want to command stronger prices and better margins.

“If you want to charge the good prices, do the right things. It’s got to come from someone who’s dressed in a nice uniform in a nice shop with nice packaging.”

The latter stages of the episode become increasingly reflective as the conversation turns towards the future of the industry. All three discuss shop closures, changing high streets and whether some traditional fish and chip locations are simply no longer commercially viable.

Despite the challenges, the episode never becomes negative. Instead, it feels grounded and realistic. The conversation acknowledges the pressures operators face while also focusing on adaptation, efficiency and understanding local markets.

For fish and chip shop owners, takeaway operators and hospitality professionals, Episode 245 delivers something increasingly rare: genuine operator insight without rehearsed talking points. It feels less like an interview and more like sitting in a room with three experienced business owners discussing what is actually happening in the trade.

Listeners can hear Episode 245 of The Ceres Podcast on Apple Podcasts here.

If you work in hospitality, run a takeaway business or simply want an honest view of where the fish and chip industry is heading, this is an episode worth listening to. Subscribe to the Ceres Podcast to keep up with future conversations from operators at the heart of the trade.