Lynx Purchasing, which issued the warning, has released its Summer 2013 edition of its Market Forecast, which shows the impact on food prices of volatile weather and poor harvests both in the UK and internationally. An overview of market and pricing trends for hospitality operators is included with an analysis of headline ONS inflation figures and insight from Lynx suppliers.
"Inflation is a fact of life, especially in the current market," says Lynx Purchasing managing director John Pinder, "but that doesn’t mean caterers should just watch helplessly as their costs rise.
"If a chef doesn’t know how many portions he can expect to be able to serve from a kilo of cod, or whether the quoted weight of a leg of lamb includes the bone or not, then the business has very little chance of setting its menu prices at a level that will maintain margins and keep the business trading profitably."
Higher grain prices are impacting the price of meat and poultry through rising feed costs, while the horsemeat scandal has increased demand from supermarkets for beef, pushing prices up further for caterers. Lamb losses due to freezing weather and late spring has caused their price to rise as well.
Meanwhile, the price of potato has tripled against last year with scare stored crops and the availability of fresh vegetables is still being hit by poor weather.
Lynx encouraged caterers to maximise fish and seafood on their menus this summer with hake, whiting, gurnard, mackerel and plaice all offering good value.