A fish and chip shop owner has expressed his delight at cutting the price of cod on his menu following two years of hikes.

Paul Sandford, landlord at The Railway Tavern in Dereham, has reduced the cost of the fish by £1 after shopping around and finding a new supplier. It is the first time in his 15 years of ownership that the price of something on the menu has been cut.

Mr Sandford said in his entire history of trading, there has never been the sort of price spikes like those seen in the last two years.

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“I’ve never been able to reduce prices before, it's always been a steady increase in line with inflation,” he said.

“Due to the war in Ukraine and the embargo on Russian goods, the cod price rocketed, nearly doubled. We looked at alternatives but people predominantly want either cod or haddock and changing that habit is almost impossible.

“We have scoured the wholesale market and found a sustainable local supply at a reasonable cost and the quality is outstanding.”

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Dereham Times: Paul Sandford outside The Railway Tavern in DerehamPaul Sandford outside The Railway Tavern in Dereham (Image: Archant)

The landlord, whose chippy is found inside the pub, said the feedback has been “tremendous”, with customers thanking him for passing on the savings.

“It’s great to be able to pass this on to people in these trying times and still maintain the quality that they have come to expect,” he added.

The price of cod has been reduced from £6.90 to £5.90 following a change of supplier to Bunning G R & Co based at Cranworth, Thetford - adding: “Their fish is grade one quality and sustainable."

Mr Sandford said he had also just started offering a 10pc discount for Blue Light Card holders and Veterans Cards, plus anyone currently serving in the military.

The venue also offers 10pc off for Polar Express users, staff and the crew.