Food inflation has hit its highest rate on record and shoppers are now paying 10.6 per cent more than they were a year ago, according to the latest figures. Fresh food products have seen the biggest increases according to the consumer price index.
Shoppers at Bristol Tesco Extra at Eastgate say they are getting less for their money and as a result are cutting down on items. Meanwhile budget supermarkets like Aldi have also seen price rises with shoppers reporting that they’re now spending up to 30 per cent more on their weekly groceries.
Vas Anwar and his partner who live in Easton are now putting less items in their shopping trolley as price rises hit their weekly budget. The dad of two, 51, who is employed as a shop manager, said he is having to buy less nappies because the price of everything has gone up.
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Speaking to Bristol Live Mr Anwar said: “Overall food prices have just gone crazy. I don’t know if it’s just me but I’d say over the last eight to ten weeks, food prices have risen by at least 20 per cent.
“Fresh fruit, tin food, overall, everything has gone up. As a family we normally buy two or three packets of nappies for the kids.
“We have a budget of £175 to £200 max but we’ve just ended up spending £209 on only three quarters of the shopping that we would normally get. For every £100, we’re losing 25 quid, I’d say.
“It’s not just Tesco, it’s all the supermarkets, it’s everywhere.”
Abdul Iman, who works for a money transfer company, said he has to shop around now to get the best prices and has felt the increase in food and fuel. Mr Iman added: “I bought a small box of strawberries which was £1.59 before in Tesco, two days ago it was £3 and now it’s £1.59 again.
“I have to plan my shopping more and sometimes go to Aldi instead because it’s a little bit cheaper. You have to shop around, I go to Tesco, Asda, Lidl, all of them now.”
Mike Wisniewski, who is 18 and lives locally, works at Tesco Eastgate and said he has seen the vegetables decrease in size. He added: “The thing that is obvious to me is the size of the vegetables, when I look at broccoli for example, compared to a few months ago, they’re tiny and they still cost the same price.
“Aubergines have gotten smaller too. With soft drinks, I can’t really buy coke anymore because that’s gotten more expensive.”
Abdi Ibrahim, 30, who runs his own coffee shop in Easton, has also noticed everything going up, particularly milk which he needs to buy in large quantities. Mr Ibrahim said: “Everything has gone up but if we increase prices the customers won’t accept it so that’s a problem.
“For example, milk was £1.10 and now it’s £1.55. For this amount of shopping it’s £30 now but before it was £20 or less. It’s a big difference and electricity, gas and everything else has also gone up. But what can you do?”
Nick Wills, who is currently unemployed, usually shops at Lidl but has noticed price rises in all the supermarkets and is buying less food each week as a result. He said: “Lidl, they’re basically what Tesco prices were two years ago and Tesco is just insanely priced now.
“Bread, dairy, meat, loads of stuff has shot up over about two or three weeks. I don’t do full shops anymore, I’ll just buy enough to get one or two meals.”
Allison Cromer, a 37-year-old stay at home mum living in Easton, said that she has started to bake her own bread and had to cut back on the amount of fruit she gives her son. Ms Cromer, who usually shops in Aldi, said she noticed the cost of her weekly shop rise in the last month.
She told Bristol Live: “The biggest increases have probably been in the major supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsbury's but I was in Aldi the other day and I noticed that the prices have increased quite dramatically. I used to be able to spend between £20 and £25 on all my fruit, vegetables, milk and bread and everything and I went in there and spent £35.
“We eat so much fresh produce and that has gone up the most. I bought flour and right now I’m going to go home and make a loaf of bread.
“My son usually wants grapes and oranges and a massive fruit platter in the morning and I’m already out of grapes. We’ve been eating porridge in the morning.”
Terry Gillard, who is now retired and has a few acres of land in Frenchay, said he hasn’t paid attention to the price increases. The 87 year-old who previously ran breweries said he is well off enough to not be personally impacted by the increases but is sympathetic to others who are struggling at this time.
Mr Gillard added: “It does affect people, I can understand how it’s difficult, I feel sorry for others. With my income the increase means nothing because I’m lucky."
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