Sharjah24 – Reuters: Belgium's national dish of fried potatoes sold from trucks and kiosks across the country - just don't call them French fries - are about to get pricier, the latest victim of rising energy and raw material prices.
At one quirky vendor on the outskirts of Brussels, the lunchtime rush was well under way on Friday (February 4) with a steady stream of local school children and professionals queuing in front of the decommissioned tram car where Bertrand Balasi runs his kitchen.
The president of the national union of fries makers Bernard Lefevre told that his industry - which he said includes 4,600 businesses in Belgium - was not immune to the national picture. Inflation in Belgium was 6.6 percent year-on-year in December.
"Fries being such an important product for Belgium, of course, emotionally when you have an increase of 10 or 20 cents a portion it's heartbreaking, much more than a washing machine or a pair of shoes," he said, adding energy prices were a particular concern.
"We need gas to make fries…. You can't fry fries with a candle."
Balasi said that his prices had remained stable for years and he didn't think a planned 10 percent hike - adding 20 cents to the cost of an average portion - was going to put off his customers.
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