Soaring food and non-alcoholic drink prices kept UK inflation in double-figures last month and continued to weigh hard on household budgets. More expensive bread, cereals and chocolate all caused the overall average price of food and non-alcoholic drinks to increase 19.1% in the year to March.
This is the sharpest 12-month increase since August 1977. Price rises have partly been linked to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which forced the cost of export products including vegetable oils and grains higher.
Recent fruit and vegetable shortages, due to poor weather conditions in north Africa and Spain, also contributed to inflation, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Retailers and wholesalers have had to pay more for tomatoes, peppers and salad, which have been in short supply.
