British families already feeling the pinch due to the cost of living crisis are facing soaring supermarket prices led by an increase in the cost of staple foods, new figures show.
With Britons already seeing increases in their heating and fuel bills, data shows how families are also having to quite literally eat into their weekly budgets by spending more at supermarkets.
Worryingly, it is cupboard staples such as milk, butter and spaghetti, which have seen some of the largest price increases in the last 12 months.
The average cost of milk is now 18.7 per cent higher than it was last year, while spreadable butter is now 22.9 per cent more expensive than it was in June last year, according to data from the Trolley.co.uk Price Index.
It comes after it emerged one supermarket giant was now selling the popular butter brand Lurpak for more than £7 a tub.
Meanwhile, other staples such have spaghetti have also seen a price spike over the last 12 months. The average pack of spaghetti now costs £1.46, a rise of 27p since June last year.
Other staples including beans, cheese and eggs have also seen double digit percentage increase since June last year, according to the data.
It comes as analysis by MailOnline shows how the average 20-item shopping basket now costs £4.29 more than it did 12 months ago.
The average basket, which includes staple food, home goods and toiletries, now costs £67.07, while the same basket of items last year costs £62.78.
And it was at budget chain Iceland where the average cost of 20-item basket increased the most. According to the data, an average basket at Iceland costing £60.62 last year now costs £67.90 – a rise of £7.28 in the last 12 months.
Asda also saw one of the largest rises in the cost of an average shopping basket, of £4.57. But it remained the cheapest supermarket compared to rivals Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, with a basket costing £61.29.
Analysis of Trolley.co.uk data by MailOnline shows how the average cost of a 20 item shopping basket across all supermarkets is now £4.29 more expensive than it was in June last year – a rise of 8.83 per cent. Pictured: A graphic showing how individual items in the 20 item basket have increased. The costs are based on average costs of an item across a number of supermarkets and include larger packs and more expensive brands – bringing up the average cost. Pictures are for illustrative purposes and not the actual cost of those items
The average basket, which includes staple food, home goods and toiletries, now costs £67.07, while the same basket of items last year costs £62.78. And it was at budget chain Iceland where the average cost of 20-item basket increased the most. According to the data, an average basket at Iceland costing £60.62 last year now costs £67.90 – a rise of £7.28 in the last 12 months. Asda also saw one of the largest rises in the cost of an average shopping basket, of £4.57. But it remained the cheapest supermarket compared to rivals Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, with a basket costing £61.29
Among the biggest price rises has been for dairy products, with milk, cheese and butter all seeing sharp increases since June last year.
And there are fears of more increases on the way. Over the weekend, Sainsbury’s increased the cost of a two pint carton of milk by 10 per cent from £1.05 on Friday to £1.15.
Other supermarkets followed suit, with Asda, Morrisons and Aldi all now selling the same size milk for £1.15. Trolley’s £1.59 figure is higher because it is an average across all supermarkets and includes larger sizes such as 6 pint bottles, which can cost upward of £2.
It comes as dairy giant Arla Foods, which owns Lurpak, Cravendale and Anchor brands, has today warned that a chronic shortage of suitably-qualified farm workers is already reducing production contributing to food price inflation.
According to the firm, more than 500 of its 2,100 owned farms took part in a survey which showed how 80 per cent of famers looking for workers have received ‘very few’ or ‘zero’ applications from people with the right experience or qualifications.
The firm has blamed a combination of the end of free movement of workers from the EU, the aftermath of the pandemic, and a host of other factors mean that more than three-fifths (61.3 per cent) of farmers are finding it more difficult to recruit now than in 2019.
It says milk volumes are down by around three percent now compared to last year. And it warns that a tenth of its farmers are considering leave farming altogether (11.9 per cent) in the next year if nothing changes.
It comes after pictures online showed a 750g pack of Lurpak lightly salted spreadable butter listed for £7.20 in Sainsbury’s earlier this month. Arla said the price rise was in part due to it increase pay for farmers to give them a fair deal.
Meanwhile, data from Trolley.co.uk shows how the average price of spreadable butter has increased by 70p in the last 12 months. The average tub now costs £3.76, up 22.9 per cent in the last year.
Other large increases include in the cost of household essentials such as toilet roll, which has gone from £4.47 to £5.08 – a rise of 13.6 per cent. Shampoo and toothpaste have also seen small price rises of around 2 and 1 per cent respectively.
The only household item to see a decline in MailOnline’s 20 item shopping basket is washing powder, which is now 1p cheaper on average than it was last year.
The cost of fruit and vegetables, such as potatoes, has also risen by around six per cent since June last year, with an average bag of potatoes now costing 8p more and fruit 12p.
In terms of supermarkets, Asda is still the cheapest supermarket according to analysis of Trolley.co.uk data. The data does not include enough products to compare with budget retailers Lidl and Aldi, who both regularly tussle it out for top spot on Which?’s cheapest supermarket stakes.
The total 20 item basket at Asda now costs £61.29, less than Tesco (£66.67), Sainsbury’s (£66.03) and Morrison’s (£63.85).
But Asda also saw one of the biggest rises in costs, of 8 per cent, with the same basket having cost £56.27 a year ago.
Iceland saw the biggest rise, of 12 per cent, with a basket going from £60.62 to £67.90 in 12 months – a rise of £7.28.
The smallest rise was at Sainsbury’s (£2.46), followed by Co-Op (£2.84), which saw its average basket go from £59.82 to £62.66 – making it one of the cheapest among its rivals according to data from Trolley.co.uk.
The boss of UK’s largest supplier of fresh milk, Arla, has called time on cheap milk saying that inflation combined with supply chain issues following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will force the price to go up (graph of the cost of milk per litre in the UK)
The average farm-gate milk prices have risen significantly in the past year, 19.9%, while other dairy products such as butterfat and protein have remain stable (DEFRA statistics)
It comes as dairy giant Arla Foods, which owns Lurpak, Cravendale and Anchor brands, has today warned that a chronic shortage of suitably-qualified farm workers is already reducing production contributing to food price inflation
Andrew Opie, Director of Food & Sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, which represents retail stores including supermarkets, said: ‘Rising inflation is a significant concern for both consumers and retailers.
The global price of many food commodities is rising, along with energy costs, supply chain costs and tax rises.
‘The war in Ukraine is putting further pressure on global supply, particularly for wheat, cooking oils and animal feed, leading to higher prices for many staples.
‘Despite these challenges, retailers are determined to support their consumers with the cost of living, such as by expanding value ranges, keeping the price of essentials down, and introducing discounts for vulnerable groups.’
