Can mere increase in expense or loss of profit be a ground for frustration under English contract law?

No, mere increase in expense or loss of profit is not a ground for frustration under English contract law. Frustration of a contract occurs where an event occurs after the formation of a contract that makes it physically or commercially impossible to fulfill the contract, or where it transforms the obligation to perform into a radically different one from that originally agreed. An increase in expense or a loss of profit alone does not amount to frustration under English law.