More than half of us are worried about the rising cost of eating, as food prices rise at their fastest rate since 1977.
But that did not stop Ann Widdecombe landing herself in a pickle on Tuesday by suggesting people who could not afford cheese sandwiches should simply forgo them.
Reacting to BBC analysis that the price of a cheese sandwich had risen more than a third in a year, the former Tory minister said people should not have cheese sandwiches if they could not afford the ingredients.
So how has the lunchtime staple changed with inflation? The Guardian has analysed figures from the retail research firm Assosia – which tracks prices across the big four supermarkets – as well as official inflation data from the ONS, to find out how much four forms of cheese sandwich have been affected.
The no-nonsense snack (up 23%)
The bread and butter of cheese sandwiches – in this case, literally: two slices of own-brand white bread, cheddar cheese and butter – is much more expensive than it was just a year ago.
The Guardian’s analysis of Assosia figures puts the cost of one sandwich at 40p – up 23% from last May (separate ONS figures show an inflation rate of 35% in the year to March, suggesting inflation could be starting to fall).
Rising prices have hit dairy products hard. They are relatively energy-intensive to produce, and farmers have seen rising costs for animal feed and fertiliser thanks to rising energy prices caused by the war in Ukraine. Last summer’s drought also dried up grazing land, which further increased prices.
Because of its popularity, milk has historically been sold with very low profit margins, meaning rising costs for producers will be directly passed on to consumers. Cheddar cheese – which requires a lengthy chilling period to allow it to mature – is further affected by surging energy costs.
The ploughman’s (up 17%)
Upgrading your sandwich to a ploughman’s (we opted for red leicester, butter and Branston pickle in Hovis medium white bread) will set you back 52p – 17% more than in May last year, when it cost 45p.
The average price of bread has rocketed, driven by a combination of an increase in grain prices after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, rising domestic energy costs and high fertiliser prices for UK-based producers.
Other ingredients are also on the rise: Assosia figures show own-brand red leicester is up 25.2%, unsalted butter up 5% and Branston pickle is 10.6% more expensive than last year.
The Italian (up 38.3%)
A classic Italian caprese sandwich is a tempting lunchtime treat as the weather gets warmer. Use two slices of seeded bread, brush them with olive oil and fill with sliced mozzarella, tomato, and basil … bellissimo! The price, not so much: you can expect to pay 92p for every sandwich – up a whopping 38.3% since last year.
Again, the increase is driven by key ingredients becoming much, much pricier. Own-brand extra virgin olive oil has seen dramatic price rises of 55.6%. Spain – the world’s largest producer – produced half its normal quantity in the last year, and extreme drought exacerbated by global heating means harvests are expected to remain poor.
The rise in tomato prices – own-brand salad tomatoes are up 25.9% according to Assosia – is partly down to the cost of heating greenhouses, and follows on from salad shortages earlier this year (which led the minister with responsibility for food, Thérèse Coffey, to advise British people to “cherish” turnips).
The bougie brie baguette (up 19.2%)
Widdecombe’s cheese comment led the presenter Vanessa Feltz to compare her to Marie Antoinette. But had she truly been channelling the French queen, Widdecombe would surely have suggested British people turn to a brie and cranberry baguette instead.
Our analysis of Assosia figures show that the indulgent crusty and cheesy snack would have cost 89p last year, rising 19.2% to £1.06 this year.
The big driver here is the cranberry sauce, the price of which has skyrocketed. Most cranberries are imported from the US, Canada and Chile, and US Department of Agriculture figures show cranberry production fell every year between 2018 and 2021 (the latest year for which figures are available). Meanwhile, own-brand brie is up 29.9%.
