A LACK of tomatoes is causing concern among owners of the city's pizzerias and Italian restaurants which use them as a key ingredient in their dishes.
Asda, M&S, and other supermarkets have been struggling to stock tomatoes which has led shoppers desperately try to get their hands on them.
The UK government said the lack of produce is largely due to bad weather in Europe and Africa.
Rising energy prices have also impacted the produce being grown in greenhouses and the UK and the Netherlands.
Adam Giagnotti, owner of Impasto in St Swithin's Street and the Olive Branch, said: "I keep my tomatoes in a safe now - I don't really, but the demand has increased.
READ MORE: UK supermarkets facing tomato shortage
"We make everything in-house including a signature tomato sauce.
"We use about 100 or 120 kilos of tomatoes a week, we have just had to adapt by making small changes.
"We not really changing the ingredients but we are having to take a hit in price."
Mr Giagnotti uses imported tomatoes from Spain and Italy and said it is rare for them to waste any produce.
"We've been experimenting with different bases such as courgette and butternut squash.
"We are creative chefs and like experimenting, but it is also because of the prices of ingredients.
READ MORE: Tomato stock at Tesco, Sainsbury's, Aldi, Lidl and Waitrose
"Courgettes don't get affected by the same weather.
"We have been established for so long, it's not that we don't struggle, but we're very lucky to have loyal customers."
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Jim Thompson, owner of Three Counties Produce on Church Street, said: "We have sold people more tomatoes in the last ten days than ever before.
"People have been coming in and saying they can't get them in Asda or M&S.
"Due to the situation, we've had to charge accordingly but we have kept it as reasonable as possible."
Clint Webbe and Matt Haley, who are the co-owners of Pizza Freakz on Pump Street, said they have been absorbing the extra cost rather than putting up prices for customers.
Mr Haley said: "On the whole, the price of veg has gone up in the last month.
"But it's really easy to notice when you run a pizza shop.
"It has been kind of hard, but is there an alternative to tomatoes?
"We'll just have to see how scarce they get.
"We haven't put our prices up.
"It's not really the climate to be trying to get a third more out of our customers.
"At the moment, we are eating up the cost and not transferring it onto our customers."
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