Basic food costs surge by up to 80% in a year

18th April 2023

The cost of British food basics such as cheddar cheese, porridge oats and white bread have soared by up to 80% in some shops over the past year.

// British food basics surge up to 80% in price across some of the eight big supermarkets over the past year

// Food and drink inflation rose to 17.2% in March, Which? found

The cost of British food basics such as cheddar cheese, porridge oats and white bread have soared by up to 80% in some shops over the past year.

According to Which?, overall food and drink inflation at supermarkets rose to 17.2% in March, up from 16.5% the month before.

The price of porridge oats surged 35.5% across Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose compared to a year ago.

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Similarly, the price of cheddar cheese jumped an average 28.3% and white bread increased an average of 22.8%.

Pork sausages increased by an average of 26.8% across the eight supermarkets with Asda’s Just Essentials range skyrocketing 73.5% to £1.40 and Tesco’s value Woodside Farms 73.3% to £1.39.

Which? head of food policy Sue Davies said: “Our latest supermarket food and drink tracker paints a bleak picture for the millions of households already skipping meals of how inflation is impacting prices on supermarket shelves, with the poorest once again feeling the brunt of the cost-of-living crisis.

“While the whole food chain affects prices, supermarkets have the power to do more to support people who are struggling, including ensuring everyone has easy access to basic, affordable food ranges at a store near them, particularly in areas where people are most in need.”

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