Firing up an oven to cook a traditional Sunday roast could cost Britons as much as £5 as energy prices continue to soar.
Millions will be in-turn priced out of the weekly staple, with heating and eating becoming more and more unaffordable as the weeks go by.
And by the time December comes around, experts also predict that the cost of cooking a full-scale Christmas dinner could cost you as much as a tenner, based on a 5kg turkey.
Read more: Waitrose budget Essentials range dubbed 'out of touch' and 'unaffordable'
The Mirror reports that TV chef Dave Myers, said: “It seems terribly wrong. These prices shouldn’t happen – things are out of control.“
The 64-year-old Hairy Biker has been on television screens across the country with cooking partner Si King since 2004. He continued: “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."
In 2019, the cost of keeping a 3kw oven running for two hours was a little over £1. This will rise to £3.12 when Ofgem increase the October price cap, and again to £5.16 in January. Britons tuck into 1.28billion roasts each year, with one in five sitting down with loved ones and pals each Sunday to enjoy the national staple.
And Dave is no different, with the Sunday roast having being 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 starred on 2013's series of Strictly Come Dancing, says that he has already began to economise by batch cooking to sae money and 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 hoping to dine out to keep energy expenditure low are also in for a sickening shock, with restaurant and pub bosses warning of mass closures - as utility costs have risen in the region of 500 per cent for some. 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.“
How the cost of living is rising
- Boiling the kettle to make a cup of tea - Apr 22: 1p, Oct 22: 2p, Jan 23: 3p, Apr 23: 4p
- Washing one load of clothes - Apr 22: 8p, Oct 22: 15p, Jan 23: 25p, Apr 23: 29p
- Cooking a roast dinner in the oven - Apr 22: £1.68, Oct 22: £3.12, Jan 23: £5.16, Apr 23: £5.88
- Keeping the lights on for eight hours - Apr 22: 9p, Oct 22: 13p, Jan 23: 25p, Apr 23: 41p
- Ironing clothes for an hour - Apr 22: 70p, Oct 22: £1.25, Jan 23: £2.06, Apr 23: £2.35
- Watching a football match on television - Apr 22: 9p, Oct 22: 17p, Jan 23: 28p, Apr 23: 31p
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