New figures from consumer watchdog Which? confirm that the cost of everyday family meals has increased by more than a quarter in the last 12 months after some essential ingredients doubled in price.
For a pasta bake for four people, Which? analysed the prices of jars of pasta sauce, packs of penne pasta and cheddar cheese and found that across the main supermarkets (Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose) the average cost of the meal had gone from £2.68 (67p per portion) in the three months to the end of May 2022 to £3.39 (85p per portion) for the same period 12 months later – an increase of 27%,
Meanwhile, for a regular fish finger supper with chips and beans, Which? found that the overall price went from £3.06 (76p per portion) to £3.79 (95p per portion) – an increase of 24%. This was mainly driven by baked beans which went up by an average of 36%.
Other meals, such as spaghetti bolognese (+20%) and a typical Sunday lunch (+13%), also saw significant increases as prices rose across most food categories.
Which? noted that the examples highlight how difficult it is, particularly for people on low incomes, to feed a family as many items become increasingly unaffordable.
Despite signs that inflation is starting to ease, next week’s official inflation figures are expected to show that food price rises remain at an elevated level.
Which? noted that its price tracker had shown no sign of inflation slowing down for own-label budget goods, soaring from 25% in April to 26.6% in May. By contrast, regular own brands (19.1%), premium own brands (12.9%) and branded (13.2%) food and drink all slowed month on month.
Which? recently highlighted that these value ranges are rarely sold in smaller convenience stores despite two-thirds (66%) of people with a household income under £21,000 shopping in these stores at least once a week.
The consumer watchdog is calling on supermarkets could do much more to help the people who are struggling the most in the face of rampant food price increases by ensuring that smaller convenience stores stock a range of essential budget lines.
It also wants to see supermarkets commit to clearer unit pricing, especially on promotions and loyalty card offers, so that people can easily work out which products offer the best value. Earlier this month, Which? reported Tesco to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) over its alleged failure to provide detailed pricing information on its loyalty card offers.
“The cost of food during this period of economic uncertainty has turned the pleasure of mealtimes with loved ones into a nightmare for the millions that are struggling to afford food,” said Sue Davies, Head of Food Policy at Which?.
“Official Inflation data due out next week is still expected to show food prices at an elevated level, if supermarkets can’t do the right thing by their customers, it’s time for the government to take action.”
In recent weeks, leading supermarkets in the UK have been cutting the price of everyday items such as milk, bread, sunflower oil, and pasta to reflect falling commodity costs.
