Food price inflation rises for first time in a year as cost of some supermarket products doubles

Food price inflation rises for first time in a year as cost of some supermarket products doubles According to the latest findings, overall grocery inflation increased from 2.4% in May to 2.6 % in June this year, marking the first monthly increase since May last year Food inflation has risen for the first time in a year - with some products more than doubling in price, research from consumer group Which? has revealed. It tracks more than 27,000 prices every month across all the UK’s largest supermarket. According to the latest findings, overall grocery inflation increased from 2.4% in May to 2.6 % in June, marking the first monthly increase since May last year. Drilling down into the data showed some individual products have seemingly surged in price. One of the biggest increases Which? recorded was Asda’s Just Essentials Mild Cheddar Slices (200g), where the average price more than doubled from an average 65p in the three months to June last year to £1.39 in the three months to this June - an increase of 113%. Which? also found Sainsbury’s Snack Pork Pies (two x 130g) had leapt 92% over the same period, from 91p to £1.75. And Tesco’s own-label budget range Ms Molly’s Iced Fairy Cakes 12 Pack had shot up 66%, from £1.20 to £1.99 over the year. Which? also claimed Tesco had the highest inflation in June, at 4.1%, up from 2.9% in May. That was followed by Sainsbury’s, where it said prices had risen by an average 3.9%. Those figures don’t, however, tell the whole story as they exclude loyalty discounts for those on Tesco’s Clubcard scheme and Sainsbury’s Nectar. Although overall inflation remains well below the peaks seen during the cost of living crisis, shoppers looking to cut their grocery bills continue to face significant price challenges. Reena Sewraz, Which? retail expert, said: “After months of easing grocery inflation, this month’s increase is a reminder that pressure on household budgets hasn’t disappeared. “While overall inflation remains far below the highs seen during the cost of living crisis, our latest data, combined with retailers’ own warnings that cost pressures remain in the system, suggests supermarkets cannot be complacent and it remains crucial for affordable budget ranges to remain widely available across all stores so shoppers aren’t forced to pay more for everyday essentials.” Experts have warned food inflation could rise in the coming weeks amid the ongoing fall-out from the Middle East war and higher crude oil prices. A Tesco spokesperson said: "We are committed to keeping the cost of the weekly shop as low as possible. We do not recognise these figures, and Which? has not shared its calculations with us. Customers can be confident in the great value that they will find at Tesco, week-in, week-out." A Sainsbury's spokesperson said: “The three products highlighted are not representative of a typical weekly shop, we offer our customers great value across their whole basket when they shop with us. Over the past five years, we have invested more than £1 billion in keeping prices low, rather than passing on the full impact of rising costs to customers." Asda was also contacted for comment. The threat comes as millions of households face a new cost of living squeeze, with wages failing to keep pace with prices, leading to a real terms pay cut. New research from the Work Foundation at Lancaster University showed just 22% of firms it surveyed are planning to above inflation pay rises in 2026, falling to 16% for firms with less than 50 staff.