Bowl of hot chips and sauce strikes outrage on social media

A photo of bowl of hot chips that cost $12, along with a $2 fee for a side of sauce, that was served at a Brisbane pub has caused outrage online.

A bowl of hot chips has gone viral online, after it was slammed for its size and price.

Reddit user known on the forum under the name retailstaffparking revealed they had been at a Brisbane pub and purchased a bowl of hot chips for $12.

The social media user added that they also purchased a small container of mayonnaise for an additional $2 to dip their hot chips into.

“What $12 Chips looks like,” the social media user complained.

While some were outraged and shocked at the price, others mocked the situation.

The social media user added that they also purchased a small container of mayonnaise for an additional $2 to dip their $12 bowl of hot chips into. Picture: Reddit/retailstaffparking

“Not sure how I ended up here; but the last $14 (US) fries/chips I ordered, they were fried in rendered duck fat and topped with shaved black truffle,” one American posted on the thread, with the price conversion landing at AUD$20.

Another joked: “What are you, made of money? Gotta bring that pocket mayo with you next time you go out.”

While one declared: “It’s just madness now.”

However, one person said it was not surprising given the cost of living crisis.

“This is how interest rate rises are meant to work. People have less spending money so they increase their purchasing discipline,” one said.

“This is then meant to put pressure on companies not to raise their prices. That’s the theory anyway.”

Another said if the original poster had complained at the time, they may have been given a more substantial amount of chips.

“I feel like you could actually count each chip and place a monetary figure to each one … kinda want to,” one said.

“Kinda scared to know what a solitary chip is worth these days. Remember when two bucks chips at the local was two scoops off the chip shovel?”

Supermarkets have been struck by frozen chip shortages. Picture: Reddit

Processed potatoes used for frozen chips, crisps and other potato products are currently in tight supply across the country.

Tasmania is responsible for producing a big share of these in Australia, but the peak industry body for the vegetable and potato industries, AUSVEG, told news.com.au in December that ongoing wet weather had caused delays in planting seeds and in getting farm machinery for paddock preparation.

It also comes as a cost of living crisis continues to dominate headlines.

Cost of living pressures are dominating Australians’ worries with 59 per cent of people most concerned about skyrocketing grocery and electricity prices, soaring rent and rising interest rates in 2023, research published in December revealed.

Australians are also sceptical that the federal government and Reserve Bank of Australia will be able to ease inflation and cost of living pressures this year with 44 per cent of Australians feeling no confidence, the Consumer Pulse Report from Canstar found.

Meanwhile, the federal and state governments have flagged a $1.5 billion intervention to cap coal and gas prices and provide additional rebates for Australians on low and middle incomes to slash hundreds of dollars off power bills.

Australians reported their average quarterly electricity bill has risen by 4.5 per cent over the year to reach $371, while their gas bill has gone up 13 per cent over the same period and is now on average $265 per quarter, the research showed.