Biggest supermarket food price rises revealed – with costs set to go up even more

Biggest supermarket food price rises revealed – with costs set to go up even more An average food shop could rise to almost £150 by next summer the Food and Drink Federation warned - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Shoppers have been warned that food prices could soar over the next few months due to pressures from global conflict and extreme weather. Food on the supermarket shelves could increase by 4 per cent by Christmas and peak at 6.4 per cent in July next year. A £100 grocery shop in January 2020 would cost £138.60 today – a rise of 38.6 per cent, based on latest Office for National Statistics figures. The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) warned by next summer the same weekly food shop could rise to almost £150. The FDF, which represents 12,000 food and drink manufacturers, said “disruption is the new normal” because of geopolitical volatility, the impacts of climate change, and a “pile up” of regulatory costs around packaging and recycling reforms. It has called on the government to ease pressure by relieving rising energy and regulatory costs on manufacturers, warning “resilience is wearing thin”. “The persistently higher costs of energy, logistics and packaging, compounded by this summer’s extreme heat mean that food prices will rise this year, and we believe that rise will be sustained into 2027,” FDF chief executive Karen Betts said. But some fruit and vegetables have already shot up in price because of the drought in the UK. While the cost of some products has fallen – the price of strawberries, for example, dropped by about 27 per cent – some food rose by more than 90 per cent, according to a comparison of prices from on same week in August in 2025 and 2026. Some types of beans rose by 96 per cent, Iceberg lettuce rose by about 92 per cent and tomatoes increased by about 70 per cent, according to data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Across all categories of UK-grown fruit and vegetables, prices rose by 8 per cent on average in the 12 months to August. The FDF’s latest Food Inflation Forecast says gas prices have more than doubled since February, while UK electricity prices are some of the highest in Europe, and UK diesel prices have also risen by 28.6 per cent since the start of the conflict in the Middle East. Meanwhile, climate-related events were compounding problems, with the cost of wheat up 45 per cent, cocoa more than 100 per cent, rice up 60 per cent and sugar and coffee up 27 per cent and 22 per cent respectively. Droughts across the UK and Europe this summer have further strained supplies, meaning manufacturers would face higher costs for fruit, vegetables and grains in the months ahead. A Defra spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister has made clear that food security is national security and we are working with farmers and the food and drink industry to strengthen the UK’s resilience. “We know that many households are still feeling pressure from the cost of living which is why we are taking a range of actions to keep prices down, including suspending import tariffs on everyday goods and supporting farmers hit by the recent drought.” Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments [Image text:] Babaganoush Babaganoush MED SALAD CHICKERSTEIAD BEEFKEBABS BEE GRILLO'S PICKLES REEN GODDESS DIP&SPREAD HERDEZOrg TACOS