Packs of Lurpak ansd Anchor butter are now 20% smaller in shops across the UK after prices were hiked earlier in the year. The popular butter brands, which are owned by Arla Foods, have seen blocks go from 250g to 200g.
The reduction comes despite prices rising by around 15% over the last year. According to analysts at Trolley.co.uk, the cheapest 250g pack of Lurpak’s unsalted butter used to cost around 90p per 100g, but the cheapest 200g pack now costs £0.95 per 100g, reports The Mirror.
The lowest price for the 200g block is now around £1.90, compared with £2.25 for 250g. Last week it was announced that food inflation remained at record-high levels of 17.1%.
Twitter user @LakeThomasCakes tweeted Lurpak's owner Arla Foods: "Cannot see the justification in dropping 50g. You are still expensive and now have annoyed me as a bespoke wedding cake maker. #bringback250g"
Another user, @ali_earl said: "So @Lurpak, yes you look like one of the cheaper brands of butter on the shelf but you have reduced your pack size from 250g to 200g.
"Did you think we wouldn’t notice!"
Another, @MoonieNo5 said: "Latest sneaky #shrinkflation by @Lurpak - yeah, 200g so lost 50g. Nice 20% reduction. Total bandits."
Twitter user @JaneReynolds8 said: "Making a cake at my customer’s house. Thought I’d measured 150g wrong, until I saw the pack’s 200g. That’s Lurpak off my shopping list. Only ever used this for cooking & I’m 64 now.
"It’s outrageous. They take us for fools."
The brand owner Arla Foods said that it had started phasing out the 250g packs for its Lurpak and Anchor brands of butter last month.
Danny Micklethwaite, VP of marketing at Arla Foods said: "Since April 17 2023, shoppers will have seen a pack reduction for our 250g block butter packs of Lurpak and Anchor.
“We’re aware that the cost-of-living crisis has put pressure on shoppers’ available spend, and we want to make our price points more accessible for shoppers, which we believe can be achieved, by reducing our pack sizes.
“There are many different factors that affect the price consumers pay in store, but pricing is set by the retailers themselves, and we work extremely closely with our retail partners to ensure we deliver tasty, quality dairy at the best possible price for both shoppers and our farmer owners.”
