Research by consumer watchdog Which? has found that the price of Heinz Tomato Ketchup in UK supermarkets has jumped 53% since 2020, making it the biggest riser in a list of leading branded groceries.
Which? compared the prices of the 79 items at Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose and Ocado over a 30-day period from 21 September to 20 October in both 2020 and 2022.
The 460g version of the leading ketchup brand rose by an average 91p across the six supermarkets. The increase went as high as 70% or £1.06 in one chain.
Two other Heinz products also made the top 10 in the index of average price rises – cream of chicken soup (+46%) and tomato soup (+44%).
The findings come just four months after Kraft Heinz paused supplies of some of its lines to Tesco when negotiations between the two broke down over demands for cost price rises thought to be as much as 30%. Weeks later, the two companies resolved the disagreement, with analysis at the time showing that whilst some Heinz lines saw significant price increases, other key products remained at the same cost.
Responding to the Which? findings, a spokesperson for Kraft Heinz said: “Like the rest of the food industry, we are continuing to face inflationary pressures on ingredients, labour and transportation. As a result, the prices of our products continue to reflect the costs of production. We value our consumers and are aware of the daily role Heinz products play in households across the UK.
“We remain committed to helping them offset some of the pressures consumers are facing without compromising on quality. This is through larger pack sizes, a wider range of entry-price points as well as finding efficiencies in our operations, like removing unnecessary ingredients, and investing further in technology.”
30 Branded Groceries With The Biggest Price Hikes
| Product name | Average price rise |
| Heinz Tomato Ketchup (top down) 460g | 53% |
| Dolmio Lasagne Sauce 470g | 47% |
| Heinz Classic Cream of Chicken Soup 400g | 46% |
| Dolmio Bolognese Original Pasta Sauce 500g | 46% |
| Anchor Spreadable Butter 500g tub | 45% |
| Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup | 44% |
| Colman’s Classic Mint Sauce | 44% |
| Colman’s Horseradish Sauce 136g | 44% |
| Batchelors Super Noodles BBQ Beef Flavour 90g | 43% |
| Hovis Granary Wholemeal 800g | 43% |
| Sharwoods Butter Chicken Cooking Sauce 420g | 39% |
| Cravendale Semi Skimmed Milk 1,000ml | 38% |
| Sharwoods Balti Cooking Sauce 420g | 38% |
| Sharwoods Korma Cooking Sauce 420g | 38% |
| Lurpak Spreadable Slightly Salted 500g tub | 35% |
| Hellmann’s Real Squeezy Mayonnaise 750ml | 35% |
| Muller Corner Vanilla & Banana Chocolate Balls & Flakes 6x130g | 34% |
| McCain Home Chips Straight Cut 1,000g | 34% |
| Birds Eye 10 Original Potato Waffles 567g | 33% |
| Green Giant Salt Free Naturally Sweet Sweetcorn 198g | 30% |
| Dr Oetker Ristorante Mozzarella Pizza | 30% |
| Birds Eye Frozen Garden Peas 375g | 28% |
| Cathedral City Extra Mature 350g | 26% |
| Walkers Cheese & Onion Crisps 6x25g | 26% |
| Pukka Pies All Steak Pie 209g | 26% |
| Magnum Almond Ice Cream 4x100ml | 26% |
| Hovis Soft White Thick Bread Loaf 800g | 24% |
| McVitie’s Biscuits Ginger Nuts 250g | 22% |
| Hovis Soft White Medium Bread Loaf 800g | 22% |
| Cif Power & Shine Bathroom Cleaner Spray 700ml | 22% |
Source: Which?
Sue Davies, head of food policy at Which?, commented: “Our research shows the shocking rate of inflation on some of the nation’s favourite branded foods, which is much higher than the national average and highlights why it is so important for retailers to provide people with a choice of product ranges.
“Supermarkets must ensure budget lines for healthy and affordable essential items are widely available across their stores including smaller convenience stores. Promotions should be targeted at those most in need and people supported so they can easily compare the price of products to get the best value.”
NAM Implications:
- The price of Heinz Tomato Ketchup in UK supermarkets has jumped 53% since 2020…
- …as high as 70% or £1.06 in one chain.
- Says a lot for the power of iconic branding, hopefully…
- And given that rises in income are likely to be below inflation rate…
- …something’s got to give.
- Fingers crossed all round…
