UK shopper are now paying up to 80 per cent more for their weekly essentials like bread and milk, new research from Which? shows.
The consumer experts compared the prices of essentials at eight of the most popular supermarkets, including Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's, reports the Mirror.
Cheddar cheese has increased by a whopping 28.3 per cent on average across all the stores, while large white bread went up by 22.8 per cent - and potatoes cost 14 per cent more on average.
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However, one of the worst examples is the Dragon Welsh Mature Cheddar 180g being sold at Asda - which rose from £1 to £1.80, up 80 per cent year on year.
In terms of bread offenders, Asda Soft White Medium Sliced Bread 800g was the most expensive rise, going from 56 pence to 94 pence - an increase of 67 per cent.
Over at Morrisons, a four pack of Baking Potatoes increased from 40p to 66p, a rise of 63.5 per cent in total. Read below for the full list of the highest inflation on products across all eight stores:
Top ten highest inflation on products
- Dragon Welsh Mature Cheddar 180g, Asda: from £1 to £1.80 - up 80 per cent
- Asda Mature British Cheddar Sticks 5x20g: from 95 pence to £1.70 - up 78.95 per cent
- The Polish Bakery Baltonowski Bread 800g, Ocado: from £1.30 to £2.28 - up 75.04 per cent
- Just Essentials By Asda 8 Pork Sausages 454g: from 81 pence to £1.40 - up 73.49 per cent
- Woodside Farms 8 Pork Sausages 454g, Tesco: from 80 pence to £1.39 - up 73.33 per cent
- Duchy Organic Homogenised Semi-Skimmed Milk 1 Pint 568ml, Waitrose: from 73 pence to £1.25 - up 71.89 per cent
- Utterly Buttery Spread 500g, Waitrose: from £1.14 to £1.95 - up 71.30 per cent
- The Bakery at Asda Soft White Medium Sliced Bread 800g: from 56 pence to 94 pence - up 67.13 per cent
- Dairy Manor Semi-Skimmed Milk 568ml, Lidl: from 57 pence to 95 pence - up 65.54 per cent
- Quaker Oat So Simple Protein Porridge Pot Original 49g, Ocado: from 94 pence to £1.56 - up 65.51 per cent
Pork sausages were also included in the Which? basket of goods with an average rise of 26.8 per cent across all stores.
Which? analysed inflation on more than 26,000 food and drink products in the three months to the end of March 2023, compared to the same time period last year.
Its findings also show how the price of value ranges continue to shoot up, hitting families who are already stretched and relying on cheaper foods.
Supermarket own-label budget items, which are still the cheapest overall, were up 24.8 per cent last month, compared with the same time in 2022.
In comparison, standard supermarket own brands increased by 20.5 per cent, while branded goods and premium own brand ranges were both up 13.8 per cent.
Overall food and drink inflation rose to 17.2 per cent in March, compared to 16.5 per cent the previous month.
Sue Davies, Which? head of food policy, said: “Our latest supermarket food and drink tracker paints a bleak picture for the millions of households already skipping meals of how inflation is impacting prices on supermarket shelves, with the poorest once again feeling the brunt of the cost of living crisis.
“'While the whole food chain affects prices, supermarkets have the power to do more to support people who are struggling, including ensuring everyone has easy access to basic, affordable food ranges at a store near them, particularly in areas where people are most in need.
“Supermarkets must also provide transparent pricing so people can easily work out which products offer the best value.”
An Asda spokesperson said: “We’re working hard to keep prices in check for customers despite global inflationary pressures and we remain the lowest-priced major supermarket – a position recognised by Which? in their regular monthly basket comparison which has named Asda as the cheapest supermarket for a big shop every month for the last three years.
"We recently announced we would be freezing the prices of over 500 popular branded and own label products, more than half of which are fresh meat, dairy, fruit and vegetable products until the end of May."
An Ocado spokesperson said: “At Ocado, everything we do starts with our customers and we know how important value is to them right now.
“We continue to support our customers by investing in price across branded and own-brand products. We've also recently introduced the Ocado Price Promise so customers can be sure they’re getting great value.”
A Sainsbury's spokesperson said: “With costs going up, we are working hard to keep prices low. In the last two years, we have invested over £550m into lowering prices as part of our goal to put food back at the heart of Sainsbury’s.
"We're committed to doing everything we can to support customers with the rising cost of living.
"Through initiatives such as our Aldi Price Match campaign, Price Lock and My Nectar Prices, customers can find low prices on the products they buy most often both in stores and online – including: butter, broccoli, cabbage, and carrots.
“Our focus on value means that all our customers will find great deals when they shop with us and do not need to go anywhere else to get the best prices on their weekly shop."
A Waitrose spokesperson said: “As Which? highlighted last month, dairy is one of the categories most impacted by inflation, and no retailer is immune to this.
“We’re working hard to keep our prices as low as possible, whilst paying our farmers and suppliers fairly, and maintaining high animal welfare standards."
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