The foods that have risen the most in price in recent years have been revealed following the latest inflation announcement – and it’s bad news for vegetarians.
The UK’s CPI fell to 3 per cent in January, the lowest since March last year. This marked a major drop from the 3.4 per cent seen in December, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) confirmed, and a return to the downward trend seen at the end of 2025.
Better news still for households across the nation was the massive downturn in food inflation that was a driving factor in this drop. From the 12 months to December and 12 months to January, the inflation figure dropped from 4.5 per cent to 3.6 per cent, meaning food prices are slowing.
However, slowing does not mean falling. Millions continue to struggle with the cost of essentials in the UK, with economists predicting there is still a way to go until household incomes begin to catch up with the sky-high inflation of recent years.
New analysis from Compare the Market has now revealed which foods have gone up the most in price over the past two years, helping shoppers understand changes on the shelves.
Here are the top 11, and how much they have risen since 2024:
The analysis reveals that vegetarian mince alternative is one of the fastest-rising food items in price, being the only item to more than double in two years. This possibly mirrors an uptick in people moving to a meat-free or ‘flexitarian’ lifestyle in recent years.
This is a relative newcomer to the ONS’s ‘basket of goods’ – the wide collection of items it tracks prices of to calculate inflation statistics – understood to have only been added around 2022. The goods are designed to reflect the UK’s consumer habits, meaning they are regularly updated.
This method means the measure can be a little misleading, as not all goods increase at a uniform rate. Food especially has seen massive fluctuations over the past two years, with the price of some goods rising much faster than others.
Following veggie mince, pork sausages are next on the list, meaning meat-eaters are also not spared from price increases. However, the latest data shows that the price of pork is actually decreasing in 2026, falling 14.79 per cent in the year to February according to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB). This means prices could soon begin to fall again.
Ice lollies and chocolate bars both make the list, showcasing a rise in the cost of sweet treats in recent years. Many experts have noted the uptick in the cost of chocolate production in recent years, which has had a direct impact both on the price and size of bars in shops.
Also on the list are certain items like noodle ready meals, tinned beans, meal kits and frozen oven chips, despite being staples in many households.
Charlie Evans, personal finance expert at Compare the Market, said: “The ONS ‘basket of goods’ is constantly evolving. Recently, we’ve seen yoga mats and VR headsets added to the list to mirror consumer spending. However, while these new entries reflect the modern lifestyle of many, we were keen to see the impact of inflation on the average family’s weekly shop.
“While there’s no way to completely offset inflation, our data shows that the steepest price rises are currently concentrated in snack products.
“Encouragingly, some everyday staples have fallen in price. Since 2024, a 550g block of cheddar has dropped by 20p to £5.75, while a four-pack of tinned tomatoes is down by 25p.
“By leaning more towards these pantry staples where possible, shoppers may be able to balance out some of the sharper increases identified in the recent analysis.”
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