Celebrity chef Rick Stein has blamed food inflation and rising energy costs after charging customers £2 for condiments at his fish and chip restaurant in Cornwall.

Customers have been left underwhelmed after being asked to pay extra for the likes of mayonnaise, tartar sauce and mushy peas at the Padstow eatery.

A spokeswoman for the celebrity chef defended Stein’s Fish and Chips’ decision to charge customers an extra £2 for condiments, arguing it is due to the current economic climate.

“Our homemade condiments using Rick Stein’s special recipes are prepared in Padstow by our team of chefs. Food inflation, energy costs, along with rising wages, have driven up the cost of production significantly,” she said.

“We have reluctantly, along with many others, had to pass on some of the costs to our customers.”

A classic serving of cod and chips at Stein’s Fish and Chips in Padstow is priced at £16.95, while its online menu displays sea bass and chips for £18.95. Customers can add a side of mushy peas for an extra £2.

Several people have expressed their “disappointment” at the prospect of paying for condiments, with some suggesting to “boycott” the eatery.

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“Rick Stein’s charging £2 for a sachet of mayonnaise to go with his £17.95 takeaway cod and chips in Padstow,” journalist Rebecca Tidy wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“He pays minimum wage, so workers would need to work two hours just to buy lunch. Cornwall’s rich-poor divide is massive.”

Another X user wrote: “That’s pure greed, customers should vote with their feet at Rick Stein’s fish restaurant and boycott it.”

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