Shoppers face £454 increase to annual grocery bill as food inflation soars

Butter, milk and dog food are the items rising most sharply in price

Shoppers can expect to see their grocery bills increase by £454 after food and drink inflation hit its second-highest peak on record.

Retail data company Kantar revealed that the rate of inflation for groceries jumped to 9.9 per cent over the four weeks to 10 July, a sharp rise from 8.3 per cent the previous month.

Butter, milk and dog food were the items increasing in price the fastest, according to researchers.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said he expects the overall record for grocery inflation to be surpassed “come August”.

He added: “All this means that people will be feeling the pinch during our first restriction-free summer since 2019.

“Taking a barbecue as an example, buying burgers, halloumi and coleslaw for some al fresco dining would cost you 13 per cent, 17 per cent and 14 per cent more than it would have this time last year.”

Shop around for the best prices (iStock)

The news comes as food prices continue to rocket across the UK due to soaring inflation, Brexit and a cost of living crisis.

Economists from the LSE Centre for Economic Performance found that the UK’s departure from the EU caused a 6 per cent increase in British food prices.

Supply chain issues and labour pressures have also added to costs in food production, which are now being fed back to shoppers.

The cost of food is now at its highest rate since 2009, adding to rising costs for gas, electricity and petrol.

And in May, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that the price of pasta had risen by 50 per cent since last year.

A second study by the ONS published in June found that three-quarters of adults polled reported they were “somewhat worried” or “very worried” about increases in the cost of living.

It found that the number of people cutting back on food has soared, with 41 per cent of people reducing the amount they buy, compared with just eight per cent last September.

Some 45 per cent of respondents said they had cut back on car journeys due to the rising cost of petrol, while half said they were worried by big increases in energy bills, which have jumped by £700 a year for the average home after regulator Ofgem hiked the level of its price cap in May.

A further 40 per cent jump is expected this winter, taking bills to around £3,000.