The cost of living crisis shows no sign of slowing down. Food prices have risen at their fastest pace in 18 months, according to the latest figures, with some staple foods driving the rise.
This means we are all seeing the number at the bottom of our shopping bill go up significantly, hitting us all in the pocket but adding the most pressure to families already struggling with the cost of living.
In fact, in the five years to July 2025, food prices increased by a staggering 37%. That compares with a rise of 4.4% over the five years before 2020.
The Bank of England said last month that the increase in national insurance contributions announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in April had contributed to rising food prices. And bosses of firms like Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Boots have warned the government that raising taxes again in the autumn budget could damage any plans to improve UK living standards. It’s also been warned this week that inflation could accelerate even further than expected before the end of the year.
Based on data from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), here are the top five supermarket grocery items that have seen the most significant price increases in the UK since 2020.
1. Olive Oil: The price of olive oil has seen an extraordinary rise, with reports citing an increase of over 118% since 2020 and a steep acceleration in price this year. This is attributed to poor harvests in key producing regions due to extreme weather.
2. Eggs: Eggs have continued to experience significant inflation, up 57%.
3. Butter: Dairy products, including butter, have seen consistent price inflation throughout the year. Butter has risen 53%, yoghurt 50%, milk 46% and cheese 33%
4. Potatoes: The price of this staple has increased 33%.
5. Coffee: The price of coffee has risen 33% since 2020.
When price increases are limited to just this year, while many of the products above have also continued to rise, chocolate has seen “particularly high inflation”, says Which?, having risen 17.5% in the year to May.
Which? said certain products had doubled in price, like Sainsbury’s No Added Sugar Dark Chocolate (100g) which went from £1.25 to £2.68 and Maltesers Cake Bars (5 pack) from £1.49 to £2.75 at Tesco. Cocoa prices have soared globally due to poor harvests
Meat has also soared in price. Which? cited Turf and Clover 2 Ultimate Beef Burgers (300g) rising from £3.10 to £5 at Ocado.
Andrew Keeble, managing director and founder of Heck Sausages, told the BBC in July there had been a “perfect storm” of factors driving up the price of beef and chicken in particular. He said chicken prices have risen in the past two years from £2.85 a kilo to £5.50, driven by a combination of avian flu and lower stock intensity.
There are several factors for the rising price of our food, including the following:
Climate: Drought in the UK has meant lower crop yields this year, while extreme weather in other countries has raised the wholesale prices of goods like coffee beans and cocoa.
War: Global events like the war in Ukraine also affect supply chains and push prices up.
Government decisions: Business owners have had to deal with a rise in the minimum wage and higher employer national insurance contributions, which they’ve had to pay since April.