Sky high food prices are nothing new, but with bills still on the rise, shoppers are wondering whether it will ever end.
If it seems like we've been in this mess for a long time, that's because we have.
The cost of living crisis began at the back end of 2021, so for many people they've seen their bills soar over the last 18 months.
It was reported this week that the pace of food prices fell slightly in May, but they are still on the rise.
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And despite hopes of a fall, the UK inflation rate stayed at 8.7%, stopping the downward trend since its 11.1% peak last year.
To get a clearer picture of what products have risen the most, I repeated my Tesco big shop from last year, buying exactly the same 58 items I purchased in June 2022.
I knew that many of the products would have risen, but I was staggered to discover that 78% of what I bought had gone up.
In total, 45 of the 58 items had risen, 13 of them by more than 30% and one of them by a staggering 75%. Not only that but it had shrunk too.
I can't argue that a box of Quality Street is an essential, I think I bought it last year as a teacher gift, but still, the rise from last year's £2 Clubcard price to this year's £3.50 is pretty shocking, especially when you factor in it's now a 220g box instead of 232g.
If teachers see a distinct lack of chocolate among their gifts this year, they'll no doubt know why.
It's the confectionery that dominates as far as price rises are concerned. Cadbury's Wispa Gold bars up from 98p to £1.50 for a four-pack and Cadbury Caramilk up from 98p to £1.35, among the other examples.
I'm probably not the only one who's cut back on these sorts of products since the crisis began. I wouldn't have bought them this time if it wasn't for the purpose of doing a comparison.
There's no way I would usually spend £3.95 on a pack of 10 Cadbury Mini Rolls. Even last year's £3 price is steep compared to what they were when things were 'normal'.
At 79p a box, the likes of Tesco's own apples pies and bakewell tarts used to be a regular feature of my weekly shop, but both have risen by 51% since last year. The current £1.19 price tag is matched to Aldi though and the same price as Lidl, so it shows the hikes are being made across the board.
The other largest increases were on sauces - Lloyd Grossman's Tikka Masala Sauce, up 50% from £2 to £3 and Tesco's own Tomato & Herb Pizza Sauce, also up 50%, from £1.10 to £1.65.
Overall my bill had risen from £100.08 to £111.91, an increase of £11.83, or 12%.
The items costing less this time around was mostly because of Clubcard offers. Without the Clubcard, a further four products would have cost more than last June.
And the Quality Street weren't the only example of customers paying less for more.
Last year a 1kg bag of carrots cost 43p. Whereas now it's an 800g bag for 44p. Although Tesco says it's because pack sizes are adjusted throughout the growing season. Again the price is matched with Aldi - another indicator that there's no escaping the hikes wherever you shop.
Despite the figures, Tesco is now ranking second cheapest behind Lidl in our weekly comparison of budget basics.
Last week the supermarket overtook Aldi with its bill for eight essentials including coffee, tea bags, milk, bread, butter, beans, chicken and mince and it's retained that position this week.
A Tesco spokesperson said: “With household budgets under continued pressure, we remain absolutely focused on providing great value for our customers. Our market-leading combination of Aldi Price Match, Low Everyday Prices, and Clubcard Prices means we are the most competitive we have ever been.
“So whether it’s price matching Aldi on the basics, locking the price of more than a thousand household staples until July 2023, or offering exclusive deals and rewards through thousands of Clubcard Prices – we’re more committed than ever to providing our customers with great value.”
A spokesperson for Nestle, which makes Quality Street, said: “Each year we introduce a new Quality Street range with formats, sizes, weights and RRPs based on a range of factors including the cost of manufacturing, ingredients and transport, and the preferences of our customers and consumers. Final prices are always at the discretion of individual retailers.”
Shopping bills June 22, 2022 / June 22, 2023 / (% increase)
*Clubcard prices used for both shops. APM indicates Aldi Price Match
Quality Street Carton 232G was £3 (£2 Clubcard) / now 220G £3.50 (75%)
Cadbury Wispa Gold Chocolate 4 Pack was 98p / now £1.50 (53%)
Tesco Bramley Apple Pies 6 Pack was 79p / now £1.19 APM (51%)
Tesco Cherry Bakewell Tarts 6 Pack was 79p / now £1.19 APM (51%)
Lloyd Grossman Tikka Masala Sauce 350G was £2 / now £3 (50%)
Tesco Tomato & Herb Pizza Sauce 200G was £1.10 / now £1.65 (50%)
Rowntrees Randoms Pouch 150G was 89p APM / now £1.25 (40%)
Cadbury Caramilk Chocolate Bar 90G was 98p / now £1.35 (38%)
Broccoli Loose was 52p / now 72p (38%)
Tesco Finest 4 British Beef Steak Burgers 454G was £3.50 (£3 Clubcard) / now £4.10 (37%)
Tesco 30% Reduced Fat Mature Cheese 400G was £2.50 / now £3.40 (36%)
Tesco Paracetamol Tablets 500Mg 16 Pack was 29p / now 39p APM (34%)
Cadbury Mini Rolls Milk Chocolate 10 Pack was £3 / now £3.95 (32%)
- Heinz Cream Of Tomato Soup Mug Size 300G was 85p each (£1.70 for 2) / now £1.10 each (£2.20 for 2) (29%)
Tesco Salt & Vinegar Crisps 6X25g was 85p / now £1.10 (29%)
Grower's Harvest Chopped Tomatoes 400G was 28p each (£1.12 for 4) / now 35p each (£1.40 for 4) APM (25%)
- Tesco White Chocolate Cookies 5 Pack was £1 / now £1.25 (25%)
- Natural Confectionery Co Jelly Snakes 160G was £1 / now 130g £1.25 (25%)
Tesco Wheat Biscuits Cereal 24 Pack was £1.50 / now £1.85 (23%)
Growers Harvest Orange Juice Smooth 1L was 79p (£1.58 for 2) / now 95p (£1.90 for 2) APM (20%)
Tesco Ripe Bananas 5 Pack was 71p / now 85p APM (20%)
Tesco Tomato And Mascarpone Sauce 350G was £1.60 / now £1.90 (19%)
Heinz Spaghetti & Sausages 400G Can was £1.40 each (£4.20 for 3) / now £2 each or 3 for £5 (19%)
Tesco Angel Layer Cake was £1.45 / now £1.70 (17%)
Hovis Soft White Thick Bread 800G was £1.20 / now £1.40 APM (17%)
H.W Nevills 8 Plain Tortilla Wraps was 85p / now 99p APM (16%)
Woodside Farms Unsmoked Back Bacon 300G was £1.25 / now £1.45 APM (16%)
Tesco Skimmed Milk 2.272L/4 Pints was £1.35 / now £1.55 APM (15%)
- Eastmans Wafer Thin Cooked Ham 400G was £1.69 / now £1.95 APM (15%)
Tesco Maris Piper Potatoes 2.5Kg was £1.39 / now £1.59 APM (14%)
Peperami Original 5 Pack 5X22.5G was £2.30 (£2 Clubcard) / now £2.75 (£2.25 Clubcard) (13%)
Tesco Pineapple was 85p APM / now 95p (12%)
Tesco British Diced Chicken Breast 650G was £4.85 (£4.35 Clubcard) / now £4.75 (9%)
Highland Spring Sparkling Water 8X500ml was £2.75 / now £3 (9%)
Tesco Apple Cider 4X440ml Can was £2.20 / now £2.40 (9%)
Clay Oven Bakery 2 Garlic & Coriander Naan was £1.60 / now £1.75 (9%)
Tesco Finest Pizza 405G and Finest Garlic Flatbread meal deal was £5.50 / now £6 (9%)
- Cadbury Dairy Milk Orange Giant Buttons was £1.25 / now £1.35 (8%)
- Growers Harvest Pure Apple Juice 1 Litre was 79p (£1.58 for 2) / now 85p (£1.70 for 2) APM (8%)
Rosedene Farms Small Apple 6 Pack was 89p / now 95p APM (7%)
Mccain Crispy French Fries 900G was £3 / now £3.20 (7%)
Large White Bap 4 Pack was 80p / now 85p (6%)
Lowthers 4 Pack Chorley Cake was £1.65 / now £1.75 (6%)
- Tesco Corn On The Cob Twinpack was £1.29 / now £1.35 APM (5%)
Tesco Carrots 1Kg was 43p APM / now 44p for 800g APM (2%)
Tesco Cheese & Chive Dip 200G was £1.20 / now £1.20 (0%)
- Colgate Triple Action Toothpaste 100Ml was 98p / now 98p APM (0%)
- Tesco Spirali Pasta 500G was 80p / now 80p (0%)
- Hearty Food Co. Cheese Pizza 300G was 99p / now 99p APM (0%)
- Tesco Distilled Vinegar 568Ml was 29p / now 29p APM (0%)
- Old El Paso Crispy Chicken Fajita Spice Mix 85G was £1 / now £1 (0%)
Birds Eye 2 Crispy Chicken 170G was £1.80 / now £1.79 (-1%)
I Heart Prosecco 75Cl was £8.50 / now £9.50 (£7.75 Clubcard) (-9%)
Tesco Baby Corn 130G was £1.20 / now £1.25 (Clubcard £1) (-17%)
- Onken Biopot Fat Free Mango & Yogurt 450G was £1.60 / now £1.95 (£1.25 Clubcard) (-22%)
Magnum White Ice Cream 4 X 110Ml was £3.25 / now £3.25 (£2.50 Clubcard) (-23%)
Dr. Oetker Ristorante Pizza Pollo 355G was £2.75 / now £3 (£2 Clubcard) (-27%)
- Tesco Garlic Flatbread 255G was £2.30 / now £2.30 (£1.15 Clubcard) (-50%)
Total - was £100.08 / now £111.91 (increase of £11.83, or 12%)
