Food prices for cheese, porridge and white bread soar - which supermarket has seen prices rise the most

The cost of food staples such as cheddar cheese, white bread and porridge oats are up to 80% more expensive than a year ago, according to consumer body Which?

Food prices at UK supermarkets have soared in recent months, with an investigation by Which? showing the products which have seen the biggest price rises. The consumer body analysed inflation on more than 26,000 food and drink products at eight major supermarkets – Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose – in March to see how everyday product prices were being affected.

Which? put together a basket of staple foods including cheddar cheese, sliced white bread, pork sausages, white potatoes and porridge oats to find which of these everyday products have seen the biggest percentage price hikes and work out average prices across the eight supermarkets.

The research showed cheddar cheese prices increased by an average 28.3% across all the supermarkets compared to the three months to March 2022. The biggest increase Which? saw was Dragon Welsh Mature Cheddar 180g at Asda, which went from £1 to £1.80, a rise of 80% year on year.

The cost of porridge oats also increased by an average of 35.5% across the eight biggest UK supermarkets compared to the same time last year. At Ocado, Quaker Oat So Simple Protein Porridge Pot Original 49g went from 94p to £1.56 — an increase of 65.5%.

The price of a large loaf of sliced white bread increased by 22.8% on average. The Bakery at Asda Soft White Medium Sliced Bread 800g, went from 56p to 94p — an increase of 67%, according to Which?’s research.

Average inflation of white potatoes was around 14% across the supermarkets. At Morrisons a four pack of baking potatoes went from 40p to 66p — a 63.5% rise.

Inflation in the price of pork sausages across the eight supermarkets was 26.8% on average. Just Essentials by Asda 8 Pork Sausages 454g, went from 81p to £1.40 — a 73.5% increase

Sue Davies, Which? head of food policy, said: “Our latest supermarket food and drink tracker paints a bleak picture for the millions of households already skipping meals of 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.

“Supermarkets must also provide transparent pricing so people can easily work out which products offer the best value.”

Supermarkets rate of inflation

• Lidl - 25.2%
• Aldi - 23.7%
• Morrisons - 18%
• Asda - 17.5%
• Sainsbury’s -15%
• Tesco - 14.4%
• Waitrose - 14.1%
• Ocado - 10.7%

Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy said: "It's been an incredibly tough year for many of our customers, and we have been determined to do everything we can to help."

While inflation is a measure of how quickly prices are rising or falling it is not an indicator of overall price. Therefore the supermarkets with highest inflation rates, could also be the cheapest. According to Which?’s latest cheapest supermarket price comparison, Aldi and Lidl do have the lowest prices.