15 supermarket food essentials that have surged in price – one item has spiked by over 50%

A new analysis by finance experts, RIFT, has unveiled which supermarket food items have seen the largest annual hikes in price over the last year.

The average cost of supermarket food items has increased by 11.6 percent in the last year which equates to 44p per item.

RIFT analysed the latest data from the Office for National Statistics on the average price of food and drink items and how this cost has changed from July 2022 to July 2023.

One item that has surged in price since last year is granulated white sugar which sits at £1.12 per kg.

Last July, the cost was just 73p per kg which means the price has shot up by 53.4 percent which equates to 39p.

Olive Oil has also seen a considerable increase, now costing Britons 41.7 percent more.

The third biggest price increase was cook-in-sauces which have seen a 33.6 percent jump in price.

Other items that made the top 10 include hard cheese (+31.3 percent), cucumber (31.3 percent), pickle (+30.5 percent), onions (+29.1 percent), frozen beef burgers (+29.1percent), iceberg lettuce (+28.1percent) and tinned tomatoes (+27.3 percent).

Almost every food item on the list has seen a price hike other than kiwi fruits (-5.7 percent), blueberries (-2.3 percent), spreadable butter (-0.9 percent) and honey (-0.4 percent).

The most expensive items in Britons’ baskets include champagne which has an average cost of £32.61, followed by protein powder (£27.99 – 90g to 2kg) and Parmesan cheese (£20.86 per kg).

Bradley Post, MD of RIFT, said: “The cost of almost everything in our supermarkets has climbed over the last year, from sugar to sweetcorn, gammon to grapefruits, and while these cost increases may seem marginal in some cases, they all add up when it comes to the weekly shop.

“But by arming yourself with a little bit of knowledge, you can dodge the items to have seen the largest price hikes when dashing down the aisles.

“A few simple swaps and a little bit more leg work can help you achieve this. For example, making your own sauces or burgers will ensure you don’t pay above the odds for some of the frozen or pre-made items to have seen the largest cost increases.”

Supermarket items that have seen the largest price hikes from July 2022 to July 2023:

1. Granulated white sugar – +53.4 percent
2. Olive oil – +41.7 percent
3. Cook-in sauces – +33.6 percent
4. Hard cheese – +31.3 percent
5. Cucumber – +31.3 percent
6. Vegetable pickle – +30.5 percent
7. Onions – +29.1 percent
8. Frozen beef burgers – +29.1 percent
9. Iceberg lettuce – +28.1 percent
10. Tinned tomatoes – +27.3 percent
11. Eggs – +26.8 percent
12. Lemonade – +26.7 percent
13. Broccoli – +26.5 percent
14. Pork loin chops with bone – +24.9 percent
15. Mayonnaise – +24.9 percent