People across the country are paying up to 80 per cent more for supermarket staples including cheese, bread and potatoes, according to new research.
Comparing the price of essential products from eight supermarkets - Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainbury's, Tesco and Waitrose - Which? analysed how costs compare this year to last.
The consumer champion found that products such as cheddar cheese have seen a huge jump in price - by 28.3 per cent on average - with sliced white bread increasing by 22.8 per cent, while white potatoes were found to be 14 per cent more expensive now than they were 12 months ago on average.
But the biggest price hike was of Dragon Welsh Mature Cheddar at Asda, with the cost skyrocketing by 80 per cent from £1 to £1.80 year on year, reports the Mirror.
The price of Asda's Soft White Medium Sliced Bread went from 56p 50 94p - a jump of 67 per cent. At Morrisons, a four pack of Baking Potatoes is now 66, up 63.5 per cent from 40p.
Highest inflation on products, according to Which? research
- Dragon Welsh Mature Cheddar 180g, Asda: from £1 to £1.80 - up 80 per cent
- Asda Mature British Cheddar Sticks 5x20g: from 95p to £1.70 - up 78.95 per cent
- The Polish Bakery Baltonowski Bread 800g, Ocado: from £1.30 to £2.28 - up 75.04 per cent
- Just Essentials By Asda 8 Pork Sausages 454g: from 81p to £1.40 - up 73.49 per cent
- Woodside Farms 8 Pork Sausages 454g, Tesco: from 80p to £1.39 - up 73.33 per cent
- Duchy Organic Homogenised Semi-Skimmed Milk 1 Pint 568ml, Waitrose: from 73p to £1.25 - up 71.89 per cent
- Utterly Buttery Spread 500g, Waitrose: from £1.14 to £1.95 - up 71.30 per cent
- The Bakery at Asda Soft White Medium Sliced Bread 800g: from 56p to 94p - up 67.13 per cent
- Dairy Manor Semi-Skimmed Milk 568ml, Lidl: from 57p to 95p - up 65.54 per cent
- Quaker Oat So Simple Protein Porridge Pot Original 49g, Ocado: from 94p to £1.56 - up 65.51 per cent
- Quaker Oat So Simple Original Porridge Big Pot 60g, Ocado: from 94p to £1.55 - up 64.41 per cent
- Morrisons Baking Potatoes 4 Pack: from 40p to 66p - 63.55 per cent
- Rowan Hill Bakery Soft Medium White Bread 800g, Lidl: from 48p to 78p - up 63.25 per cent
- Utterly Buttery Spread 500g, Sainsbury's: from £1.15 to £1.85 - up 61.10 per cent
- Nature's Pick Baking Potatoes 4 Pack, Aldi: from 39p to 62 per cent - up 58.69 per cent
- Tesco Broccoli 375g: from 49p to 73p - up 49.48 per cent
- Sainsbury's Broccoli Loose 1kg: from £1.31 to £1.95 - up 49.14 per cent
- Shazans Chicken Breast Fillets 1.8kg, Morrisons: from £9.43 to £13.94 - up 47.82 per cent
- Morrisons Southern Fried Chicken Mini Fillets 300g: from £2.50 to £3.65 - up 45.91 per cent
- Morrisons Breaded Chicken Mini Fillets 300g: from £2.50 to £3.65 - up 45.91 per cent
- Asda Zingy and Crisp Braeburn Apples 6 Pack: from £1.17 to £1.49 - up 27.16 per cent
- Melinda Apples 2kg, Asda: from £2 to £2.50 - up 25.00 per cent
- Oaklands Bananas 5 Pack, Lidl: from 69p to 81p - up 18.04 per cent
- Ocado Fairtrade Bananas 5 Pack: from 70p to 82p - up 17.01 per cent
Across all stores, Which? also found that pork sausages rose in price by 26.8 per cent on average.
Asda's budget 'Just Essentials' range increased the price of an eight pack of pork sausages (454g) from 81p to £1.40 (73.5 per cent).
Woodside Farm 8 Pork Sausages (454g), available at Tesco, also saw a similar jump in price by 73.3 per cent from 80p to £1.39.
The research carried out by Which? analysed more than 26,000 food and drink products in the first three months of 2023 - finishing at the end of March - compared to the same time period last year.
Findings show that even the price of value ranges across the supermarkets have shot up, hitting households who are already stretched and relying on cheaper food alternatives.
Own-label budget brands saw a price increase of 24.8 per cent on average over the 12 month period. However, these grocery options remain the cheapest overall.
Standard supermarket own brands increased by 20.5 per cent on average, compared to branded and premium own brand ranges - which rose by 13.8 per cent.
Overall food inflation rose to 17.2 per cent in March, compared to a rise of 16.5 per cent in February.
Which? explained that the findings give insight to the impact on inflation on everyday foods, with the consumer champion calling on supermarkets to engage with its Affordable Food For All campaign.
The aim is to make stores provide more budget line items, making them widely available in a bid to make prices more transparent to shoppers, allowing them to work out the best value products on offer.
Sue Davies, Which? head of food policy, 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.
“Supermarkets must also provide transparent pricing so people can easily work out which products offer the best value.”
An Asda spokesperson said: “We’re working hard to keep prices in check for customers despite global inflationary pressures and we remain the lowest-priced major supermarket – a position recognised by Which? in their regular monthly basket comparison which has named Asda as the cheapest supermarket for a big shop every month for the last three years.
"We recently announced we would be freezing the prices of over 500 popular branded and own label products, more than half of which are fresh meat, dairy, fruit and vegetable products until the end of May."
An Ocado spokesperson said: “At Ocado, everything we do starts with our customers and we know how important value is to them right now.
“We continue to support our customers by investing in price across branded and own-brand products. We've also recently introduced the Ocado Price Promise so customers can be sure they’re getting great value.”
A Sainsbury's spokesperson said: “With costs going up, we are working hard to keep prices low. In the last two years, we have invested over £550m into lowering prices as part of our goal to put food back at the heart of Sainsbury’s.
"We're committed to doing everything we can to support customers with the rising cost of living.
"Through initiatives such as our Aldi Price Match campaign, Price Lock and My Nectar Prices, customers can find low prices on the products they buy most often both in stores and online – including: butter, broccoli, cabbage, and carrots.
“Our focus on value means that all our customers will find great deals when they shop with us and do not need to go anywhere else to get the best prices on their weekly shop."
A Waitrose spokesperson said: “As Which? highlighted last month, dairy is one of the categories most impacted by inflation, and no retailer is immune to this.
“We’re working hard to keep our prices as low as possible, whilst paying our farmers and suppliers fairly, and maintaining high animal welfare standards."
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