‘What has happened?’: Shock at price of Sydney pub bowl of hot chips

The price of a bowl of hot chips at a Sydney pub – which was served sauceless – has once again left Aussies gobsmacked.

The price of a bowl of chips at a Sydney pub has, once again, left Aussies gobsmacked.

Taking to Reddit, a customer shared a photo of the popular snack, noting that the “sauce-less” hot chippies had set him back $16.10.

“No sauce, yes on a Sunday [so possible weekend surcharge], but what has happened?” the man questioned.

Without a presumed 15 per cent surcharge, the chips would’ve cost roughly $13.70 – which isn’t out of the question at a lot of Sydney venues.

The offending bowl of chips. Picture: Reddit

Reaction to the patron’s gripe was perhaps not as empathetic as he may have hoped – with other users questioning why he’d order chips in the first place knowing that’s how much they cost.

“So you looked at the price and paid it anyway?” one wrote.

“Yeah wtf, why would anyone buy that lol,” another said. “My local pub does parmies, chips and veggies/salad for $20, and the chip portion is only just smaller than [this].”

Others shared their frustration at the continued high cost of living.

“That’s way more than the current cost of chips,” one said.

“The ‘weekend surcharge’ is being used to [their] advantage.”

Another joked: “How do seagulls afford city living?”

Great North Seafood is a takeaway institution in Five Dock. Picture: Georgina Noack

It’s not just on social media that attention is being drawn to the ever-climbing cost of chips.

Last week, the owner of Sydney takeaway institution, Great North Seafood, told news.com.au rising prices had also impacted the once-humble family meal of fish and chips.

The cost of food at the Five Dock eatery has risen by about 40 per cent across the board, on average, in the past five years – with some individual item prices rising upwards of 60 per cent.

Leang Eng, who took ownership of Great North Seafood last year after working at the small business for three years, said putting up prices was a “really hard” decision to make.

The cost of chips is “hitting hard” for the business, Ms Eng said.

“We used to get a box of chips for $30, now it’s $60 or $50 a box.”

It seems the hangover from a spud shortage earlier this year – which saw Aussies who wanted a chip fix slapped with buying limits and higher costs – has lingered.

Across the ditch in New Zealand, the cost of potatoes rose 48 per cent in the 12 months to this July, with local chip shops telling Stuff supplier costs were also up 10 per cent.