A popular Herefordshire pub and restaurant has warned customers about growing pressure on food prices after receiving fresh updates from suppliers about poor harvests and falling crop yields.
Docklow Pools, near Leominster, which operates the Fisherman’s Arms pub and restaurant alongside its nationally known fishing holiday business, said it wanted to be “open and transparent” about the challenges facing food producers and growers.
In a message shared with customers, the business said difficult growing conditions across the UK this year had already led to sharp increases in the cost of several key ingredients.
According to information provided by one of its suppliers, tomato prices have risen by between 50 and 70 per cent, lettuce by 50 to 75 per cent, brassicas by 40 to 60 per cent and root vegetables by 20 to 40 per cent.
While potato and onion prices have so far remained relatively stable, the outlook is becoming increasingly concerning, it said.
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The firm warned that some potato-growing regions are experiencing yields up to 80 per cent below normal levels, with Herefordshire reported to be around 40 per cent down on usual production.
Docklow Pools said it continues to absorb as much of the increased cost as possible but wanted customers to understand the pressures being felt throughout the supply chain.
The warning comes despite national figures showing food inflation easing slightly.
New data released by the British Retail Consortium and NIQ found food inflation fell from 2.8 per cent in August to 2.5 per cent in September, while overall shop price inflation also edged lower.
Retailers said promotions and discounts had helped keep costs down for consumers, although poor harvests across Europe continued to push up fruit prices.
British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson said poor harvests and higher global commodity costs were still creating challenges for businesses.
The concerns raised by Docklow Pools mirror warnings already issued by Herefordshire farmers this summer.
In July, NFU county chairman Will Watkins said drought conditions and extreme heat had severely affected crops across the county, warning some potato harvests could be reduced by as much as half.
More recently, Ullingswick farmer Paul Mess described how this year’s weather had left growers facing difficult decisions over whether to harvest potatoes early or risk leaving them in the ground longer in the hope of improving yields.
Docklow Pools, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022 and describes itself as one of the country’s oldest commercial fisheries, attracts visitors from across the UK and is home to the Fisherman’s Arms, a 17th-century farmhouse pub known locally for its breakfasts and Sunday carvery.
The business said its aim in sharing the update was not to alarm customers but to explain why food producers, suppliers and hospitality venues are facing mounting pressure as the effects of a difficult growing season continue to emerge.
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