As cost of fresh vegies soar, pubs asking patrons if they want chips instead of salad

Your classic pub schnitzel may be undergoing a transformation as the rising cost of salad vegies hits hotel kitchens.

The classic schnitzel is under threat from the soaring cost of fresh produce, as SA eateries reconsider the automatic addition of a side salad to the favourite pub dish.

With the price of lettuce skyrocketing to $12 a head in parts of the country, local hotels and pubs have started checking with customers whether a serve of salad is required with their meal, alongside the traditional schnitzel and serve of hot chips.

Chelsea Harris, chef at the Wheatsheaf Pub, in Allendale North near Kapunda, said many of her patrons consumed the schnitzel and chips but left their salad “untouched”. The rising cost of produce made this impossible to ignore, she said, and the venue was happy to provide extra chips instead.

“It’s not something we generally do but so many people send back plates with salads untouched and it’s such a waste,” she said.

“In my area alone we are finding it incredibly difficult to keep up with the increasing prices of all produce.”

Ms Harris recently paid $35 for a 1.5kg box of lettuce, posting the receipt on a local schnitzel Facebook group, which went viral. The price of produce has spiked due to flooding in Queensland and wet weather in other regions.

Other vegetables including onions, fresh herbs, tomatoes, zucchini and cucumber are also in short supply, many of which are popular salad ingredients.

Restaurant manager, Tyson Negerman at the Cremorne Hotel in Unley, says checking if salad is required might be a good way to address rising prices. Picture: Matt Loxton

Lucy Kolizos, venue manager at The Lion Hotel in North Adelaide, said patrons had been “incredibly understanding” as they looked to reduce food waste.

“Asking patrons if they would like to forgo their salad made sense, particularly during this period of fresh produce shortages,” she said.

The Cremorne Hotel restaurant manager Tyson Negerman said the Unley Rd venue hadn’t been affected but rising produce costs were a concern for all hospitality businesses. He said checking to see if schnitzel orders needed a side salad was a “good way to address the situation”.

“It does limit that wastage. That might be something venues will look at in future if it continues to get worse,” he said. “If customers don’t want salad, they tend to know in advance and we’re more than happy to accommodate them.”

Originally published as As cost of fresh vegies soar, pubs asking patrons if they want chips instead of salad