Price of pork sausages, white bread and cheddar cheese soars by up to 80%

The price of staple foods such as pork sausages, white bread and cheddar cheese, has soared by up to 80% in some shops over the past year, in further evidence of how inflation is hitting those on the tightest budgets the hardest.

Porridge oats topped the price increase ranking among a basket of British basics measured by the consumer group Which?, with prices up by an average of 35.5% followed by skimmed milk, which was up by 33.6%, and cheddar cheese, which rose by 28.3%.

However, an 180g pack of Dragon cheddar cheese in Asda was priced 80% higher than a year before – putting it top of the study’s inflationary list for individual product lines. The same retailer’s own-label cheddar sticks were up by just under 79%.

Asda’s budget Just Essentials pork sausages were up by 73%, a similar increase to Tesco’s Woodside Farms best-value pork sausages.

Sue Davies, the head of food policy at Which?, has said: “Our latest supermarket food and drink tracker paints a bleak picture for the millions of households already skipping meals [and shows] how inflation is impacting prices on supermarket shelves, with the poorest once again feeling the brunt of the cost of living crisis.

“While the whole food chain affects prices, supermarkets have the power to do more to support people who are struggling, including ensuring everyone has easy access to basic, affordable food ranges at a store near them, particularly in areas where people are most in need.”

The Which? survey reflects a recent trend for price rises in supermarkets’ budget ranges as well as to their regular own-label goods and international brands as retailers pass on cost hikes linked to energy and commodity cost increases.

Which?’s tracker shows that while supermarket own-label budget items remain the cheapest overall, but prices still rose 24.8% in March year on year.

The price of standard supermarket own brands was up by 20.5% in the same period, while branded goods and premium own brand ranges rose by 13.8%.

Year-on-year price increases for all groceries reached an all-time high of 17.5% in the four weeks to March 19, according to figures from the data firm Kantar.