UK food prices soar by fastest rate on record as cost of living crisis bites

theguardian.com:

Food prices in the UK soared by 11.6% in October – the fastest rate on record – as staples such as teabags, milk and sugar became more expensive along with fresh food, data shows.

Annual food inflation rose from 10.6% in September, the latest monthly report from the British Retail Consortium and the data firm Nielsen showed.

The annual price increase of fresh food last month was particularly high, up 13.3% year on year compared with a rate of 12.1% in September.

Non-food inflation picked up to 4.1% from 3.3% the month before, meaning overall shop prices were 6.6% higher year on year, also a record rise for the index.

The BRC chief executive, Helen Dickinson, said: “It has been a difficult month for consumers who not only faced an increase in their energy bills, but also a more expensive shopping basket.

“Prices were pushed up because of the significant input cost pressures faced by retailers due to rising commodity and energy prices and a tight labour market. Even the price of basic items went up, with the price of the humble cuppa rising, as teabags, milk and sugar all saw significant rises. While some supply chain costs are beginning to fall, this is more than offset by the cost of energy, meaning a difficult time ahead for retailers and households alike.”

There is little hope that food price inflation will ease off soon, warned Andy Clarke, the former chief executive of the supermarket chain Asda.

Hetold Radio 4’s Today programme that Britain faces a tough winter. “We’re seeing inflation numbers at over double-digit. There’s nothing we can see in the near term that suggests it’s going to go south of that. If anything, it’s going to go up.”

Clarke, who is now the chair of the operational improvement company Newton Europe, said