DEFIANT fish and chip shops in the city will fry through the "crazy" cost of living crisis and remain the best in the country despite soaring costs.

Chippies in Brighton will "never stop" serving customers and fight to stay open as dozens are battered by rising oil prices, it has been pledged.

Surging prices in oil, accompanied by high demand, means some fish and chips shops in the city are becoming "unmanageable" - sparking fears that they will go under.

But Mary Gozman, owner of Athena B in Station Road, Portslade says there is "no way in hell" she'd shut up shop.

She told The Argus: "I will never stop, even if it means serving just chips - I will never stop.

"Prices are going crazy at the moment.

"It is very stressful but I will not stop."

The Argus: Chip shops in Brighton are feeling the squeezeChip shops in Brighton are feeling the squeeze

The price of oil used in deep fat fryers is surging because Ukraine and Russia account for more than 50 per cent of the world’s production of sunflower seeds.

With sunflower oil supply set to be squeezed dramatically this year, the price of alternative forms of cooking oil is also rising rapidly.

Some chippies in Brighton are receiving letters "week by week" warning of prices hikes.

One staff member at Mama Fish, in Kings Road Arches, told the Argus they've been forced to find a new supplier.

She said: "Fish has risen by £4 for a small box.

"The problem is they can't get the stuff and it keeps going up.

"We've had problems with oil. Sometimes we can't get delivery so I've had to find a new supplier.

"He says it has gone up to £42 per barrel and he can't compete."

Another concerned staff member at Beach Break Cafe, in Kings Road Arches, added: "It is unmanageable.

"It hasn't stopped and it will keep going up."

The National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF) told the PA news agency they expect one-third of fish and chip shops to go out of business due to the cost of electricity and ingredient prices.

The Argus: Athena B fish and chip shop in Station Road, Portslade. Athena B fish and chip shop in Station Road, Portslade.

The president of the NFFF, Andrew Crook, said: “What has happened in recent months post-pandemic is that everybody else is getting squeezed.

"So all of a sudden, everybody else is feeling the pinch. And what’s worse is that we’re expecting a third of fish and chip shops to go out of business.”

When asked if Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could mean an even greater number of shops going out of business, Mr Crook said shops will be in “real dire straits” if Russia places an embargo on its fish exports.

Mr Crook said: “White fish comes from Russia, because they are a very big fishing nation in the Barents Sea. So if we lose that, the price of fish will go significantly higher and this is on top of the current record prices we are seeing. If that happens, we are in real dire straits.”