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News & politics

Food Inflation Reaches 4.2%.

(53 Posts)
windmill1 Tue 26-Aug-25 07:51:58

Just heard on BBC News that supermarket basics have gone upwards for the 7th month in a row. And it's week upon week upon week. Not to mention shrinkflation.

Exactly who is raking in the profits? The manufacturers and producers deny making a profit, the wholesalers also deny profiteering and the retailers claim they're doing all they can to help the customer.

Tell me another!

So, I'm left to assume that the only one filling up his bank account is The Man In The Moon......

GrannyGravy13 Tue 26-Aug-25 08:17:44

I hazard a guess that each link in the chain is putting up their prices as their costs have increased, NI, energy, raw materials along with the minimum wage increase.

The Farmers are still being held to ransom by the supermarkets.

Spinnaker Tue 26-Aug-25 08:28:20

I bet it miraculously drops though for September, just in time to set next year's pension increase figure. Not that I'm cynical or anything ... 😉 😉

David49 Tue 26-Aug-25 08:34:59

“Exactly who is raking in the profits? “

That’s easy Tesco declared £3 billion profit last year.

keepingquiet Tue 26-Aug-25 09:05:37

It is also to do with costs and supply, especially since we left the EU. This is what people said they didn't mind when they voted for Brexit.

GrannyGravy13 Tue 26-Aug-25 09:09:00

keepingquiet

It is also to do with costs and supply, especially since we left the EU. This is what people said they didn't mind when they voted for Brexit.

The food inflation rate in the EU was 3.9% July 2025, only 0.3% less than us…

LizzieDrip Tue 26-Aug-25 09:12:14

David49

“Exactly who is raking in the profits? “

That’s easy Tesco declared £3 billion profit last year.

Precisely!

Sparklefizz Tue 26-Aug-25 09:12:24

The weather has had a big effect. Farmers are having to buy feed for their animals because the grass has dried up without rain. Crops and harvests will also be low this year for the same reason.

Doodledog Tue 26-Aug-25 09:25:39

I would like to see money from initiatives such as the sugar tax used to subsidise a relatively limited number of food items such as vegetables, fruit, beans and wholegrain rice, so that everyone can buy enough food to feed themselves and their families. I'm not a fan of banning anything, so would keep pizza, chocolate and gin on the shelves, but would make healthier choices more attractive financially as well as good for our diets.

GrannyGravy13 Tue 26-Aug-25 09:38:45

Doodledog

I would like to see money from initiatives such as the sugar tax used to subsidise a relatively limited number of food items such as vegetables, fruit, beans and wholegrain rice, so that everyone can buy enough food to feed themselves and their families. I'm not a fan of banning anything, so would keep pizza, chocolate and gin on the shelves, but would make healthier choices more attractive financially as well as good for our diets.

I agree, but cannot see anything like this happening under this Government or any others any time soon.

Doodledog Tue 26-Aug-25 09:46:39

Maybe not. I'm not government bashing, or alluding to failures of other governments though - just saying that it would be a sensible initiative that would potentially help with obesity and protect farmers. It wasn't a political post at all.

It would be good if it were possible for people to just agree with one another from time to time without couching every comment as pro or anti the current government.

MaizieD Tue 26-Aug-25 09:49:38

David49

“Exactly who is raking in the profits? “

That’s easy Tesco declared £3 billion profit last year.

It would be interesting to know just how that 'profit' is spent.

GrannyGravy13 Tue 26-Aug-25 09:59:34

Doodledog I wasn’t government bashing

nanna8 Tue 26-Aug-25 10:12:31

Same over here in Australia. Horrendous prices for everything, even the ‘basics’ Probably worldwide I suppose.

MaizieD Tue 26-Aug-25 10:18:57

Sparklefizz

The weather has had a big effect. Farmers are having to buy feed for their animals because the grass has dried up without rain. Crops and harvests will also be low this year for the same reason.

The weather effect will be felt for a long time, I think.

While we may be able to import from other countries we're not the only one that has been affected by drought, so we'd be in competition with other drought affected countries, which is bound to push prices up.

Boz Tue 26-Aug-25 11:20:59

The cost to Eateries is putting prices up.
A local Bistro has closed. They had to charge £32.50 for a 2 course Sunday Roast (award winning Sunday Roast menu). OK for a couple but imagine having to pick up a bill for nearly £200 for a family of four with grandparents. Out of reach for a lot of people.
On the other hand, we had a nice meal for two with one dessert and two drinks at Ikea last week which was £18. They were very busy.

Astitchintime Tue 26-Aug-25 11:26:10

Every time we do a food shop prices have increased……just today I bought my usual brand of tomato puree….. last time I bought it the price was 49p…….it is now 65p!

petra Tue 26-Aug-25 11:27:45

Boz

The cost to Eateries is putting prices up.
A local Bistro has closed. They had to charge £32.50 for a 2 course Sunday Roast (award winning Sunday Roast menu). OK for a couple but imagine having to pick up a bill for nearly £200 for a family of four with grandparents. Out of reach for a lot of people.
On the other hand, we had a nice meal for two with one dessert and two drinks at Ikea last week which was £18. They were very busy.

Someone’s accounting must be skewed. The most expensive part of a roast dinner is the meat. What is taken up by remaining space on the plate ( the majority) is taken up with veg.

Boz Tue 26-Aug-25 11:43:58

Of course the biggest cost of a S. roast is the meat. The price of feed has put up the price of meat- veg is also dearer but what sends the bill skyhigh is the fact that N.I. is up and wages also, especially on a Sunday. A perfect storm.
Incidentally, I believe Jeremy Clarkson's Roast dinner is over £30 and he said he was losing money. I can believe this when you factor in all the additional expenses.

Magenta8 Tue 26-Aug-25 12:23:32

I added up how much it would cost to buy all the ingredients to make ratatouille from a mid-range online supermarket and it came to nearly £12. Admittedly, given the fact some ingredients only come in multi-packs, you would have some left over. It is still a great deal of money for a vegetable dish.

David49 Tue 26-Aug-25 13:06:47

Boz

Of course the biggest cost of a S. roast is the meat. The price of feed has put up the price of meat- veg is also dearer but what sends the bill skyhigh is the fact that N.I. is up and wages also, especially on a Sunday. A perfect storm.
Incidentally, I believe Jeremy Clarkson's Roast dinner is over £30 and he said he was losing money. I can believe this when you factor in all the additional expenses.

Don’t believe Clarkson he is making money at £30, local pubs offer 2 courses at £20 or less.

We have a roast most Sundays Chicken or Pork often sometimes Lamb, Ham or Venison, Beef is strictly special occasion. We both cook I usually do Sunday

Last week Pork cost £8, 3 Veg plus potatoes all fresh plus £6
£14 for 2 of us, cold meat Monday with veg, cold meat with salad Tuesday, curry or sweet and sour with remainder Wednesday.
With a few extras £16 for 2 of us over 4 days, around £2 per day and we eat well. We rarely eat out, mainly because I resent paying for a meal that I could cook better myself

Allira Tue 26-Aug-25 13:22:49

Don’t believe Clarkson he is making money at £30, local pubs offer 2 courses at £20 or less.

If you can find a pub that offers good local produce at £20 for two courses, please point us all in that direction!
Wetherspoons perhaps?

Don’t believe Clarkson he is making money at £30, local pubs offer 2 courses at £20 or less.

How was that produced, do you know?
Was it free-range, ethically produced meat?
£8 seems incredibly cheap for such a large piece of pork.

It's not just the increase in prices which farmers have had to find for food, fertilisers, employee bills etc, the supermarkets have also had to pay increased staff costs.

I'm not defending supermarkets, btw, as I don't think they always treat farmers fairly and their profits are huge.

I won't believe it until it see it and taste it.

Allira Tue 26-Aug-25 13:25:03

Don’t believe Clarkson he is making money at £30, local pubs offer 2 courses at £20 or less.
Ignore the second time that posted! For some reason it kept repeating itself.

It was meant to be:

Last week Pork cost £8
How was that produced, do you know?
Was it free-range, ethically produced meat?

GrannyGravy13 Tue 26-Aug-25 13:47:35

Local butchers prices (approximately)

A free range chicken £15-16

A very small beef joint £12 +

Pork loin on the bone (one bone) £10 +

Seldom buy lamb but prices for a half leg are over £12

I would be interested to know where David49 purchases his meat.

GrannyGravy13 Tue 26-Aug-25 13:50:03

Allira The Farmers Dog (Jeremy Clarkson’s) pub only uses locally grown and reared food produce.

I have looked at his menu and it seems reasonable to me.

All restaurants round here including London have put up their prices to factor in increased Labour, energy and produce costs.