Food is set to become more expensive across the State following the steep hike in LPG prices.

A large number of eateries across the State have quietly increased the prices of items on their menus by ₹2 to ₹5. According to hoteliers, the hike comes in the wake of the recent increase in commercial LPG cylinder prices. Customers, however, are unhappy, with many forced to rethink their spending.

Hoteliers said the price of tea had gone up by around ₹5, while snacks and Indian bread items had witnessed an increase of ₹2 to ₹3. Overall, menu prices have been raised by 10% to 15%.

C.M. Anumol, a Kudumbashree worker, said that she was shocked by the bill she received after recently buying tea and a cutlet from a tea shop at a cooperative hospital. “Since our work is mostly outside, we depend a lot on eateries. I have several cups of tea a day. The other day, a cup of tea and a snack cost me around ₹45. The burden has been shifted to the common man, and we cannot sustain such price hikes for items we rely on daily,” said Ms. Anumol.

M.V. Satheesan, an autorickshaw driver, said the hike would severely affect ordinary people. “It is going to make us rethink eating out. Even as prices continue to rise, our earnings remain the same. The increase has forced us to cut down on food expenses,” he said.

Restaurant owners and hoteliers, meanwhile, said the hike was unavoidable. “The sudden increase in gas cylinder prices is going to impact the entire industry. Not all eateries have increased rates. Only those that had not revised menu prices in recent months, and those finding it difficult to sustain operations with the higher cylinder prices, have increased the rates. Even then, the hike is only around five to ten per cent, which is still not enough to cope with the rising cost of raw materials and cooking gas,” said K.T. Rahim, secretary of the Ernakulam Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association.

K.B. Sasi, president of the Perumbavoor unit of the association, said even eateries in rural areas had increased prices by at least ₹2. “Hoteliers had no other option but to raise prices. The hike has been implemented across all segments, from tea shops to large hotels. I hope the public understands why we were forced to increase rates. Many eateries are now increasingly relying on firewood as the amount that once covered the cost of three cylinders is sufficient for only two at present,” said Mr. Sasi.