Brits are paying up to 80% more for supermarket staples such as cheese, bread and potatoes, new research shows.
Consumer champions Which? compared how prices at eight supermarkets - Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose - have changed over the last year.
Cheddar cheese increased by 28.3% on average across all the grocers, large sliced white bread went up 22.8% and white potatoes were 14% more expensive.
But the single worst example of a price hike was Dragon Welsh Mature Cheddar 180g at Asda, which rose from £1 to £1.80, up 80% year on year.
In terms of bread, Asda Soft White Medium Sliced Bread 800g was the top offender and went from 56p to 94p, an increase of 67%.
Over at Morrisons, a four pack of Baking Potatoes increased from 40p to 66p, a rise of 63.5%
Highest inflation on products
- Dragon Welsh Mature Cheddar 180g, Asda: from £1 to £1.80 - up 80.00%
- Asda Mature British Cheddar Sticks 5x20g: from 95p to £1.70 - up 78.95%
- The Polish Bakery Baltonowski Bread 800g, Ocado: from £1.30 to £2.28 - up 75.04%
- Just Essentials By Asda 8 Pork Sausages 454g: from 81p to £1.40 - up 73.49%
- Woodside Farms 8 Pork Sausages 454g, Tesco: from 80p to £1.39 - up 73.33%
- Duchy Organic Homogenised Semi-Skimmed Milk 1 Pint 568ml, Waitrose: from 73p to £1.25 - up 71.89%
- Utterly Buttery Spread 500g, Waitrose: from £1.14 to £1.95 - up 71.30%
- The Bakery at Asda Soft White Medium Sliced Bread 800g: from 56p to 94p - up 67.13%
- Dairy Manor Semi-Skimmed Milk 568ml, Lidl: from 57p to 95p - up 65.54%
- Quaker Oat So Simple Protein Porridge Pot Original 49g, Ocado: from 94p to £1.56 - up 65.51%
- Quaker Oat So Simple Original Porridge Big Pot 60g, Ocado: from 94p to £1.55 - up 64.41%
- Morrisons Baking Potatoes 4 Pack: from 40p to 66p - 63.55%
- Rowan Hill Bakery Soft Medium White Bread 800g, Lidl: from 48p to 78p - up 63.25%
- Utterly Buttery Spread 500g, Sainsbury's: from £1.15 to £1.85 - up 61.10%
- Nature's Pick Baking Potatoes 4 Pack, Aldi: from 39p to 62% - up 58.69%
- Tesco Broccoli 375g: from 49p to 73p - up 49.48%
- Sainsbury's Broccoli Loose 1kg: from £1.31 to £1.95 - up 49.14%
- Shazans Chicken Breast Fillets 1.8kg, Morrisons: from £9.43 to £13.94 - up 47.82%
- Morrisons Southern Fried Chicken Mini Fillets 300g: from £2.50 to £3.65 - up 45.91%
- Morrisons Breaded Chicken Mini Fillets 300g: from £2.50 to £3.65 - up 45.91%
- Asda Zingy and Crisp Braeburn Apples 6 Pack: from £1.17 to £1.49 - up 27.16%
- Melinda Apples 2kg, Asda: from £2 to £2.50 - up 25.00%
- Oaklands Bananas 5 Pack, Lidl: from 69p to 81p - up 18.04%
- Ocado Fairtrade Bananas 5 Pack: from 70p to 82p - up 17.01%
Pork sausages were also included in the Which? basket of goods with an average rise of 26.8% across all stores.
The budget range item at Asda, Just Essentials by Asda, pack of eight pork sausages 454g, went from 81p to £1.40, a 73.5% increase.
Similarly, the value version at Tesco, Woodside Farms 8 Pork Sausages 454g, went from 80p to £1.39, up by 73.3%.
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% in March compared with the same time last year.
In comparison, standard supermarket own brands increased by 20.5%, while branded goods and premium own brand ranges were both up 13.8%.
Overall food and drink inflation rose to 17.2% in March, compared to 16.5% the previous month.
Which? says its findings show the impact inflation is having on everyday foods and is calling on supermarkets to engage with its Affordable Food For All campaign.
The consumer champion wants stores to make budget line items widely available, and to make pricing more transparent so shoppers can work out which products are the best value.
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."
