Topic: UK's Favourite Dish Hit By Rising Prices

[Yousef]

Britain's curry houses have been hit by a double whammy - soaring rice prices and a shortage of kitchen staff.

The Home Office is being urged to ease restrictions on migrant workers entering Britain from Bangladesh to help restaurants fill vacant posts.

They are struggling to fill thousands of kitchen staff vacancies, says the Immigration Advisory Service.

For years, many staff in the UK's 9,000 curry houses have been recruited directly from Bangladesh.

But restrictions on the workers have been tighter since eastern Europeans were given employment rights.

The IAS has written to Immigration Minister Liam Byrne asking for them to be given a special dispensation.

To add to their problems, restaurants are struggling to remain competitive because of a huge increase in the cost of rice.

The price of basmati rice, one of the most popular varieties in the UK has almost doubled in the past year.

The Rice Association says big producers including India and China have restricted their exports to keep prices low in their own countries.

Thailand and the US are now the main suppliers to the world market, but stocks are "rapidly declining", the association warns.

All these factors are expected to have an impact on the price British consumers pay for rice in shops and restaurants.

"If you are a restaurant owner and you are buying a lot of rice you either reduce your margins or you put your prices up," said Alex Waugh, director of the association.

[Yousef]

That means the price of a Prawn Madras will be going up like everything else

Stew

[George]

Do you believe the Government's official inflation figure of 2.2%?  What a joke and an absolute con by this wrteched Government. The real rate of price increases is sky-rocketing all around us but I guess they convenienhtly exclude real life elements like Council Tax, food, petrol and rail fares.

Further info on curry story:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/feb/13/fooddrinks.bangladesh

Regards
George

[Cory Ander]

but I guess they convenienhtly exclude real life elements like Council Tax, food, petrol and rail fares

Huh!? 

Curry and beer you mean, George, surely!  ;D

It's OK, I'll convert to Baltis instead and eat it with naans and no rice 

[Bobby Bhuna]

It has seemed expensive here in Scotland for a couple of years now. You're looking at 7 or 8 pounds for a meat Madras with Pilau rice.

[Yousef]

I am flying to Inverness tonight and staying in NAIRN (Nr INVERNESS), any curry house recommendations?

S

[Curry King]

I went for a curry last night with some friends, not feeling to hungry I went for a pint, chicken madras and a plain naan, came to just under 15 quid   

[SnS]

The Home Office is being urged to ease restrictions on migrant workers entering Britain from Bangladesh to help restaurants fill vacant posts.

What a load of twoddle. Probably initiated by our failing Labour party anyway (typical spin).

There's far too many immigrants here already (Asian or otherwise) who are sucking our benefit system dry. Many of these are quite capable of filling these spaces (if they exist). We do not need more immigration we just need to get those that can't be bothered working, off their backsides .. and that includes a lot of the white indigenous population  :-[

SnS 

[Secret Santa]

Am I alone in thinking that this lack of "suitable" employees for the BIR trade is racism in reverse? Can you imagine the outcry if white run restaurants suddenly declared that Bangladeshis weren't suitable for employment. I just find it incredulous, and truly believe the Bangladeshis are complaining not because they can't get suitable staff but because they now can't get their cousins, brothers, uncles, etc. into the country on the false pretence that they are "needed" for the trade.

I really feel quite miffed about it, and I know that with a modicum of on the job training I and probably most others here would be up to the task if it suited them.

[SnS]

I actually agree 100% with you SS.

SnS  ;D