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Wales Online
Ian Jones, PA & Lorna Hughes

Food and drink prices soar in supermarkets and takeaways

Cucumbers, olive oil and hard cheese saw the largest increases in price over the last year, according to new figures looking at the cost of food and drink. Fish and chips had the biggest rise among takeaway foods.

Data published by the Office for National Statistics shows how the average price of food and drink items has gone up in just 12 months. It covers everything from coffee pods to canned tuna, showing how much more the average shopper can now expect to pay for their groceries and favourite treats.

The prices of food and non-alcoholic drinks rose at the fastest rate in more than 45 years in the 12 months to March 2023. The ONS said the largest contributor to the rise in food inflation was bread and cereals, for which average prices rose by 19.4% in the year to March 2023.

Prices are also rising in restaurants and cafés. The cost of fast food and takeaways has increased by 13% over the same period with takeaway fish and chips seeing the largest increase - an average rise of £1.44 to £9.

The data is based on the Consumer Prices Index including owner-occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH). This is a different measure to the usual inflation figures based on the CPI (Consumer Prices Index). CPIH is a more comprehensive measure of consumer prices inflation, as it includes the costs associated with owning, maintaining and living in your own home.

The list is in two sections: the first covering individual items of food and drink. The second covers the price of food and drink at establishments such as takeaway shops, pubs and restaurants.

The lists show the average price in March 2022, average price in March 2023 and percentage increase. Items are listed by their unit price, so shoppers may well purchase a smaller piece of cheese that is cheaper than the price shown here.

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Food and drink items

Name of item Average price in March 2022 Average price in March 2023 Percentage increase




Cucumber £0.55 £0.84 52%




Olive oil £3.87 £5.78 49%




Hard cheese £6.92 £9.98 44%




Cheddar cheese £6.53 £9.29 42%




Granulated white sugar £0.73 £1.04 42%




Semi-skimmed milk £0.96 £1.33 39%




Iceberg lettuce £0.55 £0.77 39%




Cook-in sauce £1.26 £1.75 39%




Baked beans £0.76 £1.05 39%




Whole milk £1.23 £1.70 38%




Lemonade £0.69 £0.93 35%




Frozen chicken nuggets £1.79 £2.41 35%




Broccoli £1.70 £2.27 34%




Eggs £2.42 £3.19 32%




Frozen breaded/battered white fish £3.90 £5.13 32%




Frozen beef burgers £2.49 £3.28 32%




Mayonnaise £1.48 £1.96 32%




Soft cheese £8.45 £11.03 31%




Butter £1.81 £2.36 30%




White sliced bread £1.07 £1.38 29%




Small yoghurt £0.64 £0.82 28%




Pork loin chops with bone £6.35 £8.12 28%




Crumpets £0.78 £0.99 27%




Wholemeal sliced bread £1.10 £1.40 27%




Ice cream £2.52 £3.19 27%




White potatoes £0.56 £0.71 27%




Plain biscuits £0.98 £1.24 26%




Couscous £0.68 £0.86 26%




Sponge cake £1.99 £2.49 25%




Hot chocolate drink £2.28 £2.84 25%




Individual meat pie £1.38 £1.73 25%




Jam £1.09 £1.36 25%




Protein powder £23.34 £29.14 25%




Still mineral water £0.79 £0.98 24%




Chicken Kiev £2.10 £2.60 24%




Frozen fish fingers £2.40 £2.97 24%




Plums £2.35 £2.91 24%




Dry spaghetti or pasta £0.86 £1.07 24%




Individual cakes £1.64 £2.01 23%




Peppers £0.81 £1.00 23%




Bacon £7.23 £8.88 23%




Self-raising flour £0.63 £0.77 23%




Chilled ready meal (meat) £2.63 £3.20 22%




Multipack crisps £1.31 £1.60 22%




Cauliflower £0.90 £1.09 22%




Fresh/chilled whole chicken £3.06 £3.73 22%




Canned sweetcorn £0.76 £0.92 22%




Breakfast cereal (gluten-free) £2.08 £2.51 21%




Quiche £2.22 £2.68 21%




Bag of sweets (chocolate) £1.19 £1.44 21%




Chocolate wafer bar £0.56 £0.67 21%




Coffee pods £3.67 £4.45 21%




Fresh salmon fillets £15.75 £19.03 21%




Vegetable stir fry pack £1.19 £1.44 21%




Frozen ready cooked meal £1.64 £1.98 21%




Pork sausages £5.45 £6.58 21%




Chilled ready meal (fish/veg) £2.73 £3.27 20%




Chilled pot dessert £0.64 £0.77 20%




Carrots £0.53 = £0.64 20%




Onions £0.84 £1.01 20%




Hot oat cereal £1.84 £2.19 19%




Chewing/bubble gum £0.64 £0.76 19%




Fruit juice (excluding orange juice) £1.00 £1.19 18%




Still water £0.45 £0.53 18%




Malted chocolate sweets £0.65 £0.76 18%




Whole rotisserie chicken £5.76 £6.81 18%




Continental sliced deli type meat £2.04 £2.42 18%




Courgettes £2.36 £2.79 18%




Fresh boneless chicken breast £6.77 £8.00 18%




Pre-prepared mashed potatoes £0.98 £1.16 18%




Meat free sausages £2.05 £2.40 17%




Corn snack £0.74 £0.86 16%




Spreadable butter £3.75 £4.37 16%




Fresh white fish fillets £16.86 £19.52 16%




Tomatoes £2.80 £3.25 16%




Beef mince £7.02 £8.13 16%




Flavoured water £0.75 £0.86 15%




Large white unsliced bread £1.34 £1.55 15%




Non-dairy milk drink £1.53 £1.76 15%




Instant coffee £2.89 £3.31 15%




Fresh double cream £1.17 £1.34 15%




Large chocolate bar £1.49 £1.69 14%




Small box of tea bags £2.17 £2.46 14%




Multipack meat based snack £1.90 £2.16 14%




Crisps £0.88 £1.00 14%




Canned tomatoes £0.57 £0.64 14%




Multipack of cola/fizzy drink £3.57 £4.05 13%




Gammon £7.48 £8.44 13%




Canned fruit £1.00 £1.12 13%




Basmati rice £1.83 £2.07 13%




Pre-mixed spirit drink £1.87 £2.10 12%




Mixer drink £1.13 £1.26 12%




Milk chocolate bar £0.73 £0.82 12%




Coffee sachets pack £1.82 £2.03 12%




Cooked turkey/chicken (sliced) £2.07 £2.32 12%




Orange £0.39 £0.44 12%




Bananas £0.93 £1.04 12%




Fresh turkey diced/minced £7.45 £8.38 12%




Oven ready gammon/pork joint £4.85 £5.44 12%




Powdered baby formula £10.81 £12.11 12%




Pulses £0.67 £0.75 12%




Microwavable rice £0.91 £1.02 12%




Speciality bottled beer (4.5-5%) £1.74 £1.92 11%




Fizzy energy drink £1.45 £1.61 11%




Regular cola drink £2.08 £2.30 11%




Bread rolls (white or brown) £0.96 £1.06 11%




Parmesan cheese £18.81 £20.83 11%




Chilled garlic bread £0.92 £1.03 11%




Frozen prawns £16.68 £18.55 11%




Pre-packed salad £1.24 £1.39 11%




Frozen vegetable burger £1.99 £2.21 11%




Vegetable pickle £1.44 £1.60 11%




Popcorn £0.33 £0.37 11%




Mints £0.70 £0.78 11%




Fizzy drink £1.51 £1.67 10%




Canned tuna £0.94 £1.03 10%




Grapefruit £0.53 £0.59 10%




Grapes £3.82 £4.21 10%




Small oranges £2.50 £2.76 10%




Beef steak £16.25 £17.92 10%




Bitter £4.22 £4.58 9%




Flavoured cider bottled £2.13 £2.31 9%




Cooked ham (sliced) £2.41 £2.64 9%




Avocados £0.88 £0.96 9%




New potatoes £1.24 £1.36 9%




Dried fruit pack £2.08 £2.26 9%




Peanut butter £1.90 £2.07 9%




Chocolate caramel bar £0.71 £0.77 9%




Honey £2.13 £2.29 8%




Premium lager £5.04 £5.40 7%




Cans of lager £11.59 £12.40 7%




Bottle of whiskey £14.91 £15.88 7%




Breakfast cereal (sugar/chocolate coated) £2.46 £2.64 7%




Mushrooms £3.30 £3.52 7%




Beef roasting joint £11.02 £11.82 7%




Fruit pastilles £0.71 £0.76 7%




Bottle of vodka £14.72 £15.59 6%




Breakfast cereal (low-sugar/non-chocolate coated) £2.08 £2.20 6%




Cereal bar £0.29 £0.31 6%




Raspberries £13.33 £14.18 6%




Baking potatoes £0.78 £0.83 6%




Stout £4.81 £5.07 5%




Champagne bottle £29.94 £31.36 5%




Bottle of gin £15.40 £16.24 5%




Kiwi fruit £0.31 £0.33 5%




Packet of peanuts £1.23 £1.29 5%




Lamb loin chop/steak £15.49 £16.13 4%




Fortified wine £9.48 £9.79 3%




Lemon £0.32 £0.32 3%




Blueberries £11.56 £11.89 3%




Sweet potato £1.17 £1.19 2%




Cream liqueur (14-20%) £15.79 £15.96 1%

Food and drink establishments

Name of item Average price in March 2022 Average price in March 2023 Percentage increase




Takeaway fish & chips £7.56 £9.00 19%




Takeaway chicken & chips £5.30 £6.18 17%




Takeaway or eat-in burger £3.71 £4.35 17%




Takeaway cooked pastry £1.29 £1.48 15%




Takeaway kebab £6.03 £6.84 14%




Takeaway or delivery pizza £8.61 £9.75 13%




Pub hot meal £9.79 £11.05 13%




Muffin/individual cake £2.24 £2.52 13%




Restaurant main course £12.88 £14.40 12%




Liqueur £3.17 £3.51 11%




Takeaway cold sandwich £2.41 £2.67 11%




Takeaway coffee £2.71 £3.00 11%




Bottled mineral water £1.91 £2.13 11%




In store cafeteria meal £7.91 £8.77 11%




Vodka £3.50 £3.85 10%




Gin £3.48 £3.82 10%




Takeaway tea £1.68 £1.86 10%




Indian takeaway, main course £8.25 £9.05 10%




Chinese takeaway, main course £6.15 £6.76 10%




Takeaway soft drink £1.48 £1.63 10%




Restaurant cup of coffee £2.64 £2.90 10%




Restaurant sweet course £5.89 £6.46 10%




Draught premium lager (4.3-7.5%) £4.44 £4.85 9%




Bottled premium lager (4.3-7.5%) £3.80 £4.14 9%




Fruit juice £2.47 £2.69 9%




Whiskey £3.56 £3.86 8%




Crisps (eating out) £1.05 £1.13 8%




Draught bitter £3.54 £3.79 7%




Draught stout £4.22 £4.52 7%




Draught lager (3.4-4.2%) £3.96 £4.24 7%




Cider (4.5-5.5%) £4.19 £4.50 7%




Bottle of wine £19.69 £21.13 7%




Lemonade/Cola on tap £2.26 £2.41 7%




Bottle of mixer £1.64 £1.72 5%




Secondary school (cafeteria) £2.41 £2.52 4%




Primary school meal (fixed charges) £2.32 £2.38 3%
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