Food prices will only rise further – there is serious danger of a spiral into recession

There is a growing risk that, as prices rise and the government declines to provide much help, people become more worried about what lies ahead and hold back further on their spending, argues Ben Chapman

There is not a great deal that shoppers can do to avoid being affected by the rising costs of essential goods (AFP via Getty)

The rising tide of inflation is beginning to cause real hardship. Average food bills are up £271 in a year, according to the latest set of depressing economic figures from analytics group Kantar.

The retail data confirms what others have said: that there is not a great deal shoppers can do to avoid being affected by the rising costs of essential goods. Average prices were 5.9 per cent higher in the three months to April compared with the same period a year earlier.

Shoppers are tightening their belts where they can, with Aldi and Lidl enjoying booming trade as a million more customers have flooded through their doors over the past few months. The two chains now account for 15.4 per cent of the market – up from just 5.5 per cent a decade ago.