Roast potato crisis as cost of goose fat soars

A roast potato crisis is forecast after the price of goose fat soared following changes in the way that Eastern European bird rearers sell their poultry. Sales of goose fat in Britain have risen sharply in recent years after TV chefs named it as the secret ingredient to making rich and crispy roast potatoes. However a supply shortage is in danger of pushing the price up, putting the perfect roast potato out of reach of many home cooks.



Reduced availability from Eastern Europe has already led to a 50 per cent rise in the wholesale price of goose fat to the UK, according to companies that supply supermarkets. The price has increased because European geese rearers, particularly in Poland, have started selling whole birds to middlemen rather than supplying different 'parts' of the animal - such as fat - as standalone products, according to trade magazine The Grocer.

The move has led to a shortage of goose fat on the market. Speciality food distributor RH Amar said that if supplies did not improve, then the price at which importers sell goose fat to supermarkets could double. A spokesman for Cooks & CO, which supplies goose fat to the major UK supermarkets at a recommended price of £2.99 for a 320g jar, warned: "A shortage of supply and a rise in the wholesale price for goose fat throughout Europe is threatening the category.



“If this trend continues we would expect to see significant increases in the retail price of goose fat in the coming months, particularly at key times of the year such as Christmas." Supermarkets have so far held their nerve and kept prices steady compared to last year. However any further moves in the wholesale price could force the cost on the shelf to rise. Almost one in ten Britons surveyed by market research analysts Mintel said they had bought goose fat in the previous 12 months. Of these, 62 per cent said that goose fat is an essential kitchen ingredient.