Food prices

[Butts]

Tesco Butter 250g up from £1.75 when I last bought it to £1.99 yesterday.

 

[Gloster]

Branston Baked Beans and Vegetarian Sausages up from £1 to £1.15 at Morrison’s (but you get a new image on the wrapper).

Blocks of cheese (Cathedral City; yes, I’m sorry) also seem to have gone up, with some being over £5. Again, this is Morrison’s, but my only alternative is M&S, which is good but pricey, and or the Co-op, which doesn’t have a very wide selection.

 

[GusB]

It's crazy. I used to buy the Kenco Smooth (in a red jar) but when the big jars reached £5 I switched to own-brand gold. Now the own-brands are not far off £5.

Fortunately Sainsburys put an offer in the My Nectar Prices app which made the price reasonable. I bought enough jars to last me until the end of 2023. I've also been stocking up on other long life items when there are decent offers, like tea bags, washing powder and dishwasher tablets. Problem is I ran out of cupboard space in the kitchen. The next guest to stay in my spare bedroom is in for a surprise if they open the wardrobe!

I find Aldi's Columbian coffee to be quite good, and Asda has an acceptable equivalent. Unfortunately they're only available in 100g jars, but they're priced under £2.50 a jar (I'm probably tempting fate here!)

It's interesting that you mention stocking up on certain items. I tend to use a lot of tinned tomatoes and would ordinarily buy between four and six tins from the budget range, but when I did my last Asda shop I was restricted to a maximum of three; presumably you're not the only one who has had the same idea.

 

[davehsug]

I agree. Out of all the supermarkets Morrisons are the most pricey. I've stopped going there now for some weeks now. Even Sainsbury's has better prices. To be honest we use places such as Home Bargains, Poundland, Pounstretcher etc for sweets, crisps, toiletries etc and only really use supermarkets for fresh fruit and chilled food mainly.

Yes. Have to say I'm noticing fewer young people and families shopping there. Seems to be mostly crusties like me who don't much care for change!

 

[Gloster]

Co-op Recycled White Bathroom Tissue is now £3.25. That is over 50% up in about six months (see #116).

 

[Mojo]

I’ve noticed that, what I call Good Quality Bread (Extra thick, soft white toastie- supermarket own brand, never buy branded as isn’t very good and or doesn’t fit in the toaster despite being called Toastie *cough* Warburtons I’m looking at you), has gone up from 55p at the start of the year, and now costs 70p. It was only a few weeks ago it was increased from 60p to 65p!

It’s gone up again in the past fortnight - now costs 80p.

 

[Kite159]

I noticed that bottles of 2 litre flavoured fizzy pop in Tesco has gone up another 10p to 80p a bottle.

Could swear they were 40/50p at the start of the year. How long before they change the "4 cans of flavoured fizzy pop for £1" to either "3 cans for £1" or "4 for £1,25". (Both clubcard only prices).

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Co-op Recycled White Bathroom Tissue is now £3.25. That is over 50% up in about six months (see #116).

Use both sides or for two/triple-ply all four/six sides .

I guess there is a problem with paper products generally. The much cheaper Tesco own brand kitchen towel products are hard to obtain. Normal thickness Springforce has been delisted (but may be about to re-appear at a different price and with more sheets) but the thicker Ultra brand has not been seen since April. Each month the shelf edge sticker says 'next delivery due xxxx' but that date then gets rolled over, currently due in October.

 

[Typhoon]

Use both sides or for two/triple-ply all four/six sides .

I guess there is a problem with paper products generally. The much cheaper Tesco own brand kitchen towel products are hard to obtain. Normal thickness Springforce has been delisted (but may be about to re-appear at a different price and with more sheets) but the thicker Ultra brand has not been seen since April. Each month the shelf edge sticker says 'next delivery due xxxx' but that date then gets rolled over, currently due in October.

Year?

 

[Baxenden Bank]

It’s gone up again in the past fortnight - now costs 80p.

Sawdust is in short supply also . I remember Sunblest aka Sawdust, truly awful.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Sep 2022 ==

Year?

It does actually give a date of whatever/October/2022, but I take your point and do wonder if it will ever re-appear. Which is a shame because we are entering condensation season and I use the Ultra for that purpose - got to get the moisture out to prevent mould etc.

 

[Typhoon]

It does actually give a date of whatever/October/2022, but I take your point and do wonder if it will ever re-appear. Which is a shame because we are entering condensation season and I use the Ultra for that purpose - got to get the moisture out to prevent mould etc.

Besides mischief, I had an ulterior motive - like you are suggesting I have seen items I like, with some long date for replenishment and other items are put in the shelf space, then the shelf label disappears. I just wondered whether it was a ploy to get you to 'forget' items. Unfortunately, for that particular supermarket, I don't always go in the same store so it can be difficult to keep track.
Equally no year would mean that if the label was still there on Guy Fawkes Night, they couldn't be accused of being wrong!

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Besides mischief, I had an ulterior motive - like you are suggesting I have seen items I like, with some long date for replenishment and other items are put in the shelf space, then the shelf label disappears. I just wondered whether it was a ploy to get you to 'forget' items. Unfortunately, for that particular supermarket, I don't always go in the same store so it can be difficult to keep track.
Equally no year would mean that if the label was still there on Guy Fawkes Night, they couldn't be accused of being wrong!

Which reminded me.

Tropicana Orange Juice with bits, 330ml, which I buy as part of the meal deal finally re-appeared last week after 2 1/2 years absence ie virtually the entire Covid period. Heaven knows what Tropicana have been doing with all those bits in the meantime. The smooth version has been available throughout!

Now we just need Organic Milk in pints to return, though heaven knows what the price would be now, certainly over £1.

 

[Busaholic]

Now we just need Organic Milk in pints to return, though heaven knows what the price would be now, certainly over £1.

£1.14 local to me, though I find the 2 pint version stays fresh for days after its sell-by date.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

£1.14 local to me, though I find the 2 pint version stays fresh for days after its sell-by date.

Yes, it's the easy freezability factor I'm after (as previously mentioned) so that I always have some in, just in case. Like for example this week when I was down to my last two brews worth before the delivery. That's far too close for comfort.

 

[Busaholic]

Yes, it's the easy freezability factor I'm after (as previously mentioned) so that I always have some in, just in case. Like for example this week when I was down to my last two brews worth before the delivery. That's far too close for comfort.

I remember a study done some years ago of the definable health benefits of various organic foodstuffs against their non-organic counterparts. Only organic milk was proven beyond doubt to confer benefits otherwise not available, and so I've sought out organic semi-skimmed ever since, though I won't buy four-pints as my milk consumption is minimal since my wife's death.

 

[Gloster]

Use both sides or for two/triple-ply all four/six sides .

Or as Paddy Ashdown said of his time in the Royal Marines. They used three sheets: one up, one down, one polish.

 

[Cloud Strife]

I guess there is a problem with paper products generally.

China has gone completely mad for lumber, and huge amounts of wood is currently being exported in that direction.

Poland has a serious shortage of wood, simply because the government won't ban exports (political, the State Forestry Service is earning a huge amount on the back of exports) and it's also in huge demand for heating because you simply can't buy coal. Much of eastern and southern Poland relies on burning fuel for heat, and so the paper industry is in crisis.

 

[Gloster]

Branston Baked Beans and Vegetarian Sausages up from £1 to £1.15 at Morrison’s (but you get a new image on the wrapper).

They are now £1.29. That is 29% in a week or so.

 

[lyndhurst25]

Co-op individual pizzas. Were 45p, then 55p, then 75p, now 90p. “No way I am paying that” I thought. Seems lots of people agree that they are no longer worth it - there were a load of them about to go out of date and reduced to 18p. I bough the lot to freeze!

 

[Baxenden Bank]

I called into Waitrose today. I'm not a regular user but it is between the bus and rail stations in Uttoxeter. Just having a lie down in a darkened room to recover.

 

[Butts]

I called into Waitrose today. I'm not a regular user but it is between the bus and rail stations in Uttoxeter. Just having a lie down in a darkened room to recover.

A case of "never knowingly oversold" ?

 

[Bantamzen]

For most of my meat I've been buying online since covid broke out, usually from Best Meat. The quality is excellent as the guy that owns it has been a butcher all his working life, and buying one of the boxed deals means some serious savings. I can usually make a large box at around £60 last me over two months, particularly if I'm savvy with some of the add-ons they sometimes offer. And delivery is always next day guaranteed with DHL so the stuff is always still very fresh & ready for freezing, although I'd seriously recommend a chest freezer if you have room as there can be a lot to freeze!!

Another change in habit for me is headed for the yellow / orange sticker sections in the supermarkets first. Its often possible to pick up some serious bargains that again if you can gets chucked into the freezer. I'm actually finding that overall with a bit a careful shopping, keeping my costs at around the same or even slightly cheaper than previously. Probably won't last much longer though!

 

[ChrisC]

I called into Waitrose today. I'm not a regular user but it is between the bus and rail stations in Uttoxeter. Just having a lie down in a darkened room to recover.

I agree that Waitrose can be more expensive for many items especially branded things. However, I don’t always find them as expensive as they first appear. They do often have some good special offers and I find their own brand items, especially the Waitrose Essentials range, quite competitive and good quality. Living on my own, I like to buy smaller tins of things like tomatoes and baked beans and have been buying these in my local Sainsbury's. A few weeks ago I went in Waitrose and was quite surprised to see these at a much lower price than I had been paying in Sainsbury's.

Another change in habit for me is headed for the yellow / orange sticker sections in the supermarkets first. Its often possible to pick up some serious bargains that again if you can gets chucked into the freezer. I'm actually finding that overall with a bit a careful shopping, keeping my costs at around the same or even slightly cheaper than previously. Probably won't last much longer though!

I’ve also found Waitrose very good for reduced yellow sticker items, especially during the last couple of hours before they close. I went in the one in Newark a few weeks ago on a Monday evening and found that many items were far less than half price. I got half a dozen packs of southern fried chicken for the freezer @ £1.29 which were reduced from around £4. Also lots of their scampi, fresh fish fingers etc were at similar low prices. There was lots of very reasonably priced reduced bread too. I do find that the more upmarket supermarkets like Waitrose and M&S do sell their yellow sticker items at a bigger markdown than other the supermarkets. It’s good to fill the freezer with very good quality food at a cheap price.

 

[kristiang85]

Yes Morrisons yellow stickers are a joke now - usually only about 10% less.

 

[Butts]

Yes Morrisons yellow stickers are a joke now - usually only about 10% less.

Embarrassingly, they have recently been overtaken by Aldi as the fourth biggest Supermarket Chain.

Sir Ken must be turning in his grave.

 

[Lost property]

Not a conspiracy theorist by any stretch of the imagination, apart from not believing the official version of four events, but, I still maintain the supermarkets are indulging in a lot of covert price increases....which sounds nicer than profiteering.

Tesco's gammon steaks...up to £4, cooked chicken drumsticks up to £2.80, same as the thighs now, there used to be a difference, Sharwoods Chinese curry sauce..from £1.85 >£2.18. Cakes, various, now all £1.45, some a lot higher in fact

I do look forward to reading the annual accounts next year..."difficult trading conditions, supply chain issues, our valued customers" etc....and oh look, very healthy profits. bonus's and dividends !

 

[jon0844]

After seeing how the supermarkets are resisting price cuts on fuel, I am quite sure many are taking advantage of a bad situation to increase prices by more the necessary - although I am not sure it is just the supermarkets.

Look at the likes of Heinz baked beans. Normally Tesco is quite powerful when negotiating prices, but Heinz stood firm and now a tin of beans costs a fortune. I bet people still buy them over non branded equivalents. I find the Aldi beans to be nicer (subjective obviously) and less runny, so I won't buy Heinz again in a hurry.

 

[Lost property]

After seeing how the supermarkets are resisting price cuts on fuel, I am quite sure many are taking advantage of a bad situation to increase prices by more the necessary - although I am not sure it is just the supermarkets.

Look at the likes of Heinz baked beans. Normally Tesco is quite powerful when negotiating prices, but Heinz stood firm and now a tin of beans costs a fortune. I bet people still buy them over non branded equivalents. I find the Aldi beans to be nicer (subjective obviously) and less runny, so I won't buy Heinz again in a hurry.

Interesting reference to Heinz...there was a shortage of brown sauce earlier this year in Tesco due, apparently, to Heinz intransigence on prices.

Heinz influence should never be underestimated. When my late father, bless him, worked for Metal Box (ironically this site was adjacent to Skelton Jnc) and when M.B had more or less the monopoly of canning / containers, M.B were noted for their arrogance to customers....except one. When there was a line failure at a Heinz plant, even M.B dropped everything in their haste to placate Heinz and rectify the problem.

 

[3rd rail land]

For most of my meat I've been buying online since covid broke out, usually from Best Meat. The quality is excellent as the guy that owns it has been a butcher all his working life, and buying one of the boxed deals means some serious savings. I can usually make a large box at around £60 last me over two months, particularly if I'm savvy with some of the add-ons they sometimes offer. And delivery is always next day guaranteed with DHL so the stuff is always still very fresh & ready for freezing, although I'd seriously recommend a chest freezer if you have room as there can be a lot to freeze!!

Another change in habit for me is headed for the yellow / orange sticker sections in the supermarkets first. Its often possible to pick up some serious bargains that again if you can gets chucked into the freezer. I'm actually finding that overall with a bit a careful shopping, keeping my costs at around the same or even slightly cheaper than previously. Probably won't last much longer though!

Had a quick look at the site and see there are some good deals to be had. But as you say probably best to have a chest freezer if buying this much meat in one go. Sadly I don't have space for a chest freezer in my flat and my existing freezer isn't large enough for this sort of quantities of food.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

After seeing how the supermarkets are resisting price cuts on fuel, I am quite sure many are taking advantage of a bad situation to increase prices by more the necessary - although I am not sure it is just the supermarkets.

Look at the likes of Heinz baked beans. Normally Tesco is quite powerful when negotiating prices, but Heinz stood firm and now a tin of beans costs a fortune. I bet people still buy them over non branded equivalents. I find the Aldi beans to be nicer (subjective obviously) and less runny, so I won't buy Heinz again in a hurry.

The supermarkets generally bought there fuel from European and Russian refiners but since the Ukraine invasion the former can't be relied upon and government didn't allow it after August and thus the European refiners have had increased demand so the days of them being the cheapest price around are gone for the time being. Also what doesn't help is UK refineries (the few we have left) are optimised for petrol resulting in much more diesel being imported and diesel being much more widely used in Europe is driving up the price differential to petrol.