Food prices have skyrocketed, with some household staples nearly tripling in cost in two years.

Which? recently found that some of the worst price hikes come from beloved treats and budget lines, such as Mr Kipling Bakewell Cake Slices x6 at Sainsbury’s, which have risen in price by 175%. The same is true for Tesco’s chocolate slices, which have gone up 159% from £1 to £2.59.

Morrison’s own-brand mozzarella is another example, having shot up from 49p to £1.19, while Asda’s Free From Special Flakes have gone from 62p to £1.50. Lidl’s Chene D’argent Brie has risen from 79p to £1.85. Budget lines, which are often seen as providing people with value for money, have gone up by 37.1%.

Which? says that the scale of these price hikes shows how the poorest in society are being hit hardest by increasing prices. This is backed up by the Office for National Statistics, which reported food inflation of 18.4% in May, down from 19.1% in the year to April 2023.

These increases have been felt across all products, from food staples such as milk, cheese and eggs, to baked goods and bread. A medium-sized loaf of whole bread, for example, had a price tag of 58p two years ago, but now costs a shopper 75p.

Sue Davies, the head of food policy at Which?, said: “Our research exposes the shocking true scale of food price inflation at supermarkets since the cost of living crisis began.” She went on to accuse retailers of opting for “headline-grabbing” practices, such as Tesco not displaying the unit prices for their Clubcard offers, leaving shoppers “confused”.

Retailers, however, point to the rising costs of energy and labour as reasons for the price increases. Helen Dickinson, the chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, called on Which? to focus on providing useful information for shoppers, such as price cut lists or cheaper alternatives for costly products.

Ms. Dickinson also said that grocery prices in the UK are among the lowest in Europe, and that it is not surprising that prices are higher than two years ago, given the high inflation.

A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “We are acutely aware of the pressures facing millions of households right now and our number one priority continues to be doing all we can to keep prices low for our customers.”

Ms. Davies concluded by saying that recent “headline-grabbing price cuts” are encouraging, but that they simply won’t be enough to help people struggling to put food on the table. As inflation shows no signs of ceasing, she said that supermarkets need to do more to help cash-strapped shoppers.

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