Cooking a Sunday roast has long been a staple of the nation. Whether its, beef with Yorkshire puddings, pork and stuffing, chicken or something more exotic many people see it as the main meal of the week.
But as the cost of living crisis continues to worsen, there are fears for its future. Experts are now warning it it set to top £5 just for the energy used in cooking it. They have also warned the cost of cooking a Christmas dinner will be even worse and could cost a staggering £10 based on a 5kg turkey, reports The Mirror.
In 2019, the price of keeping a 3kw oven on for two hours was just over £1. That will rise to £3.12 when the October price cap rises. By January it will cost £5.16.
With Brits eating 1.28 billion roasts a year, and one in five of those sitting down with friends and family to tuck into Sunday dinner, it is clearly something many find important. And TV chef Dave Myers has warned: "Things are out of control."
The 64-year-old – who along with Hairy Bikers partner Si King has been on our TVs since 2004 – told the Mirror: “It seems terribly wrong. These prices shouldn’t happen – things are out of control.
"We’ve never really had to factor in the energy required to cook before we even think of the price of the dish. We’re a top 10 world economy, we shouldn’t be having these problems when we worry about heating our house in the winter."
For Dave, the Sunday roast has been a staple of family life since his childhood: “When I was little you could smell the chicken cooking all morning, while Junior Choice was on and Family Favourites was on the radio. It was such an event.
“There’s something about the Sunday roast, the predictability. Not only do you know you’ll like it but you know what goes with it. Even though my wife’s Romanian and I have stepchildren, my family have embraced the traditional British roast with all the trimmings. If you can only get the family around the table once a week then that’s definitely the time.”
Dave – who was on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013 – says he has already started to economise by batch cooking to save power. “I’d cook like a chicken fricassee or a chicken chasseur because you can then freeze two or three of them,” he said. “Obviously there’s a cost to keeping the freezer going but it’s a lot less than the oven.”
Those looking to dine out for a roast to keep their energy bills down are also in for a shock as restaurant and pub bosses warn of mass closures. They have reported rises in utility costs of up to 500%.
In a survey last week, nearly three quarters of publicans told trade paper The Morning Advertiser they were unlikely to survive the winter without swift government action. And takeaways are also under threat. Britain’s fish and chip shops warn they face “extinction” as they are forced to put up prices to stay afloat.
The crisis is also hitting high-end restaurants like those run by MasterChef winner Simon Wood in Manchester and Chester. He is furious that inaction over prices puts a national staple under threat.
“We need to keep traditions like the Sunday roast alive because often you only realise how special those family meals are when one of your loved ones is no longer there to enjoy it,” he said. “This crisis could have an impact on family life for generations to come.
"The Government are sailing blindfolded down the river, out playing the fiddle while Rome burns. Fuel poverty and food poverty come hand in hand.
“The soaring prices are sending shockwaves through the hospitality industry with bills threatening restaurants with closure and customers left with less in their pockets to spend.“
He added: “At my restaurant I’m already paying £50 for a table for two on energy alone before people walk in. This could hit £200 next year. Businesses will die, no two ways about it.”
The devastating impact of the energy crisis was finally laid bare on Friday when Ofgem raised the energy price cap. It means an annual dual fuel bill for the average household will rise to £3,549 from October 1, up 80%.
Consumer expert Martin Lewis warned: “More help is desperately needed for poorest or people will die this winter due to unaffordability of an 80% so far energy price cap hike.” Yes some experts say the worst is still to come.
One energy consultancy, Auxilione, has forecast a £7,700 average bill from next April. There are plans to offer discounts to households who use less electricty at peak times, between 5-8pm.
People have been urged to make small changes to energy habits to save cash, such as taking shorter showers and hanging washing out rather than using spin dryers.
Experts have drawn up figures to show how energy costs for all sorts of household tasks are predicted to soar. Doing a load of washing will rise from 8p to 25p while an hour of ironing goes from 7p to over £2 by January.
If you want football on, it’s 24p a time, up from 6p this time last year. If you forget to put the lights off before you go to work, it will cost 50p. Sarah Merrick, founder of green energy company Ripple Energy, who crunched the numbers, highlights how it won’t just be the oven that ramps up costs.
“Millions of people who previously didn’t have to think hard about their energy intake will be drawn into fuel poverty,” she said.
“Families will have to think twice about everything, from ironing shirts to putting on a football match on TV to cooking an iconic Sunday roast. They will have to decide when they use energy to avoid peak evening times. The Government needs to do more to help.”
The price of food is rising too, driven by high inflation and the Ukraine war. The average food shop is to rise by £533 this year, according to consumer organisation Kantar. The price of a weekly shop rose 11.6% in the four weeks to August 7. Average insurance premiums between April and June rose £51 year-on-year to £704, says Compare the Market.
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