Family staples hit by price hikes, while cost of lobster and scallops falls

Even though CPI remains static at 3.1%, food price inflation is still a bitter to swallow for hard pressed consumers.

The news is a timely reminder of the need to take action to control the cost of your weekly shop. Last month mySupermarket-Insights.co.uk found that the price of family essentials such as bread, eggs and meat had shot up in price by an average 21%, over the last three years. We now reveal that fish hasn’t escaped the trap either, rising by 28% over the last three years (see table one). Tinned tuna, a family lunch box staple has seen a whopping 48% hike, while fresh tuna steaks have seen a 40% increase. Supper time favourite salmon has shot up a massive 29% in price since 2007. On the up side, if you fancy treating yourself, it is good to know that luxury lobster and scallops are cheaper than they were three years ago – by 7% and 13% respectively.

Other family staples have been hit hard too; in the last year alone, the cost of butter and margarine has risen by 15% (see table two). Despite these price increases, by hunting around for the best deals, you can still beat food inflation. Even when with the planned VAT rise hits in January, by carefully comparing prices, mySupermarket shows shoppers how to avoid spending a penny more than they did in 2007. With a record 30,000 special offers currently available on mySupermarket.co.uk, Brits can easily cut their weekly bill by 20%, saving an average family £800 over the year.

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