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UK Food Prices & Inflation 2026
UK food & non-alcoholic drink inflation is 2.2% (12 months to May 2026). Below are the average UK retail prices of 142 everyday food items from official Office for National Statistics data (January 2025 vintage).
What is the current UK food inflation rate and average price of everyday food?
UK food and non-alcoholic drink inflation is 2.2% over the 12 months to May 2026 (ONS CPI). Across 142 everyday items in the ONS basket, the average retail price one year apart changed by +3.3% on average — for example white sliced bread averages £1.35 (800g) and a 4-pint of milk sits in the dairy aisle. Figures are official ONS data (average prices, January 2025 vintage; OGL v3.0).
What are UK food prices and how are they measured?
UK food prices are the average retail prices that shoppers pay for everyday food and non-alcoholic drink items, measured by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) as part of the consumer prices basket. The food inflation rate is the annual percentage change in those prices — currently 2.2% for the 12 months to May 2026. The per-item prices on this page are ONS experimental average prices for the January 2025 reference period, the latest vintage the ONS published before it stopped releasing item-level price quotes in March 2026. They capture price change rather than exact shelf prices, so use the levels as indicative.
Food inflation (CPI)
2.2%
12 months to May 2026
Items tracked
142
across 11 food groups
Avg item price change
+3.3%
Jan 2024 → Jan 2025, mean
Biggest year-on-year price rises
| Item | Avg price | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Large chocolate bar | £2.19 | +25.1% |
| Iceberg lettuce | £0.98 | +22.5% |
| Instant coffee | £3.83 | +21.2% |
| White potatoes | £0.89 | +20.3% |
| Spreadable butter | £4.60 | +18.6% |
| Butter | £2.53 | +18.2% |
| Fresh double cream | £1.49 | +17.3% |
| Olive oil | £8.73 | +17.2% |
Biggest year-on-year price falls
| Item | Avg price | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Protein powder | £25.69 | -12.0% |
| Pulses | £0.66 | -10.8% |
| Peanut butter | £1.96 | -9.3% |
| Canned tomatoes | £0.64 | -5.9% |
| Honey | £2.12 | -4.9% |
| Cooked ham (sliced) | £2.56 | -4.8% |
| Canned tuna | £1.01 | -4.7% |
| Mayonnaise | £2.06 | -4.6% |
Average UK price of all 142 items
Every item links to its own page with the price, year-on-year change and how it compares within its food group.
Bread and cereals (21 items)
| Item | Unit / pack | Avg price | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basmati rice | 500g-1kg | £2.03 | -3.8% |
| Bread rolls (white or brown) | pack of 6 | £1.08 | -1.8% |
| Breakfast cereal (gluten free) | each | £2.66 | +3.9% |
| Breakfast cereal (low-sugar/non-chocolate coated) | each | £2.37 | +2.6% |
| Breakfast cereal (sugar/chocolate coated) | each | £2.84 | +3.6% |
| Cereal bar | one bar | £0.34 | 0.0% |
| Chilled garlic bread | each | £1.09 | +4.8% |
| Couscous | 100-500g | £0.95 | 0.0% |
| Crumpets | pack of 6-9 | £0.92 | -4.2% |
| Dry spaghetti or pasta | 500g | £0.89 | -3.3% |
| Hot oat cereal | each | £2.22 | -0.9% |
| Individual cakes | pack of 5-6 | £2.08 | 0.0% |
| Large white unsliced bread | 750-800g | £1.67 | +2.5% |
| Microwavable rice | 220-280g | £1.04 | -2.8% |
| Pack of wraps/tortillas | pack of 6-8 | £1.36 | +7.9% |
| Plain biscuits | 200-300g | £1.39 | +3.0% |
| Quiche | 340-450g | £2.88 | +1.4% |
| Self-raising flour | 1.5kg | £0.85 | 0.0% |
| Sponge cake | each | £2.95 | +12.2% |
| White sliced bread | 750-800g | £1.35 | -0.7% |
| Wholemeal sliced bread | 750-800g | £1.34 | -0.7% |
Coffee, tea and cocoa (5 items)
| Item | Unit / pack | Avg price | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee pods | pack of 8-16 | £4.61 | +2.4% |
| Coffee sachets pack | 70-200g | £2.14 | 0.0% |
| Hot chocolate drink | 250-400g | £3.73 | +14.8% |
| Instant coffee | 90-100g | £3.83 | +21.2% |
| Small box of tea bags | pack of 80 (230-250g) | £2.67 | +4.7% |
Fish (6 items)
| Item | Unit / pack | Avg price | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canned tuna | 130-200g | £1.01 | -4.7% |
| Fresh salmon fillets | per kg | £19.43 | +0.2% |
| Fresh white fish fillets | per kg | £20.63 | +6.8% |
| Frozen breaded/battered white fish | 400-550g | £5.25 | +3.3% |
| Frozen fish fingers | pack of 8-12 | £2.79 | -0.7% |
| Frozen prawns | per kg | £17.45 | -2.6% |
Food products (nec) (6 items)
| Item | Unit / pack | Avg price | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chilled ready meal (fish/veg) | serves 1 | £3.48 | +2.4% |
| Chilled ready meal (meat) | serves 1 | £3.41 | +2.1% |
| Cook-in sauce | 350-520g | £1.92 | 0.0% |
| Frozen ready cooked meal | serves 1 | £2.04 | -1.4% |
| Mayonnaise | 390-500g / 420-540ml | £2.06 | -4.6% |
| Protein powder | 900g-2kg | £25.69 | -12.0% |
Fruit (18 items)
| Item | Unit / pack | Avg price | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avocados | each | £0.94 | +4.4% |
| Bananas | per kg | £1.09 | 0.0% |
| Blueberries | per kg | £12.46 | -0.7% |
| Canned fruit | 400-450g | £1.20 | +4.3% |
| Dessert apple | each | £0.38 | +2.7% |
| Dried fruit pack | 100-250g | £2.36 | +1.7% |
| Frozen berries | per pack | £2.48 | +3.8% |
| Grapefruit | each | £0.58 | +3.6% |
| Grapes | per kg | £4.47 | +5.7% |
| Kiwi fruit | each | £0.36 | +5.9% |
| Lemon | each | £0.34 | +3.0% |
| Melon | each | £2.03 | +3.6% |
| Orange | each | £0.43 | -2.3% |
| Packet of peanuts | 150-300g | £1.51 | +8.6% |
| Pineapple | each | £1.27 | +5.0% |
| Plums | per kg | £3.69 | +7.6% |
| Raspberries | per kg | £14.29 | +0.5% |
| Small oranges | per kg | £2.65 | -2.2% |
Meat (19 items)
| Item | Unit / pack | Avg price | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bacon | per kg | £9.40 | -0.2% |
| Beef mince | per kg | £8.68 | +4.5% |
| Beef roasting joint | per kg | £13.02 | +5.0% |
| Beef steak | per kg | £18.54 | +2.0% |
| Chicken kiev | pack of 2 | £2.77 | +6.9% |
| Continental sliced deli type meat | 40-100g | £2.53 | +1.2% |
| Cooked ham (sliced) | 100-200g | £2.56 | -4.8% |
| Cooked turkey/chicken (sliced) | 100-180g | £2.34 | +2.2% |
| Fresh boneless chicken breast | per kg | £8.01 | -0.7% |
| Fresh turkey diced/minced | per kg | £9.06 | +5.5% |
| Fresh/chilled whole chicken | per kg | £3.85 | +0.3% |
| Frozen beef burgers | pack of 4 | £3.66 | +1.9% |
| Frozen chicken nuggets | 220-600g | £2.53 | +0.4% |
| Gammon | per kg | £9.14 | +2.0% |
| Individual meat pie | each | £1.89 | +5.0% |
| Lamb loin chop/steak | per kg | £19.56 | +16.1% |
| Multipack meat based snack | 400g | £2.28 | +0.9% |
| Oven ready gammon/pork joint | 450-900g | £5.60 | +0.2% |
| Pork sausages | per kg | £6.84 | +0.6% |
Milk, cheese and eggs (12 items)
| Item | Unit / pack | Avg price | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheddar cheese | per kg | £9.11 | +2.6% |
| Chilled pot dessert | 125-200g | £0.92 | +3.4% |
| Eggs | per dozen | £3.45 | +4.2% |
| Fresh double cream | 250-300ml | £1.49 | +17.3% |
| Hard cheese | per kg | £10.05 | +1.8% |
| Non-dairy milk drink | 900ml-1litre | £1.80 | 0.0% |
| Parmesan cheese | per kg | £21.75 | +7.5% |
| Powdered baby formula | 400-900g | £11.75 | -4.0% |
| Semi skimmed milk | 2 pints | £1.24 | 0.0% |
| Small yoghurt | one | £0.84 | 0.0% |
| Soft cheese | per kg | £12.02 | +4.6% |
| Whole milk | 4 pints | £1.51 | 0.0% |
Mineral waters, soft drinks and juices (10 items)
| Item | Unit / pack | Avg price | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fizzy drink | 500ml | £1.87 | +3.9% |
| Fizzy energy drink | 250-500ml | £1.73 | +8.8% |
| Flavoured water | 900ml-1.5litre | £0.96 | +7.9% |
| Fruit juice (excluding orange juice) | 1litre | £1.45 | +9.8% |
| Lemonade | 2litre | £1.01 | +2.0% |
| Mixer drink | 1litre | £1.32 | -0.8% |
| Multipack of cola/fizzy drink | pack of 4-8 (330ml) | £4.30 | +4.9% |
| Regular cola drink | 1.25-2litre | £2.32 | +0.4% |
| Still mineral water | 1.5-2litre | £1.05 | +1.9% |
| Still water | 500ml | £0.60 | +3.4% |
Oils and fats (6 items)
| Item | Unit / pack | Avg price | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butter | 250g | £2.53 | +18.2% |
| Dairy free spread/margarine | 450-500g | £2.27 | +9.1% |
| Dairy spread/margarine | 450-500g | £2.08 | -2.3% |
| Olive oil | 500ml-1litre | £8.73 | +17.2% |
| Peanut butter | 225-350g | £1.96 | -9.3% |
| Spreadable butter | 500g | £4.60 | +18.6% |
Sugar, jam, syrups, chocolate and confectionery (13 items)
| Item | Unit / pack | Avg price | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bag of sweets (chocolate) | each | £1.73 | +13.8% |
| Chewing/bubble gum | single pack | £0.84 | +5.0% |
| Chocolate caramel bar | each | £0.84 | +3.7% |
| Chocolate wafer bar | each | £0.73 | +5.8% |
| Fruit pastilles | each | £0.85 | +11.8% |
| Granulated white sugar | per kg | £1.16 | -2.5% |
| Honey | 340-454g | £2.12 | -4.9% |
| Ice cream | 450ml-1litre | £3.40 | +1.5% |
| Jam | 340-454g | £1.31 | -3.0% |
| Large chocolate bar | each | £2.19 | +25.1% |
| Malted chocolate sweets | each | £0.87 | +7.4% |
| Milk chocolate bar | each | £0.94 | +10.6% |
| Mints | each | £0.82 | +3.8% |
Vegetables including potatoes and tubers (26 items)
| Item | Unit / pack | Avg price | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baked beans | 400-425g | £1.03 | -2.8% |
| Baking potatoes | per kg | £0.98 | +11.4% |
| Broccoli | per kg | £2.51 | +1.2% |
| Canned sweetcorn | 198-340g | £1.02 | -1.9% |
| Canned tomatoes | 390-400g | £0.64 | -5.9% |
| Carrots | per kg | £0.83 | +9.2% |
| Cauliflower | each | £1.26 | +14.5% |
| Corn snack | 50g | £0.97 | +5.4% |
| Courgettes | per kg | £3.07 | +3.7% |
| Crisps | 25-50g | £1.14 | +8.6% |
| Cucumber | each | £0.93 | +4.5% |
| Frozen vegetable burger | 180-454g | £2.21 | -1.8% |
| Iceberg lettuce | each | £0.98 | +22.5% |
| Meat free sausages | per pack | £2.34 | +11.4% |
| Multipack crisps | each | £1.72 | -1.1% |
| Mushrooms | per kg | £3.56 | +2.9% |
| New potatoes | per kg | £1.50 | +2.7% |
| Onions | per kg | £1.07 | -1.8% |
| Peppers | per kg | £1.03 | +4.0% |
| Pre-prepared mashed potatoes | 400-650g | £1.06 | -4.5% |
| Pulses | 390-420g | £0.66 | -10.8% |
| Sweet potato | per kg | £1.32 | +4.8% |
| Tomatoes | per kg | £3.21 | -0.3% |
| Vegetable pickle | 280-520g | £1.91 | +1.6% |
| Vegetable stir fry pack | one | £1.46 | +0.7% |
| White potatoes | per kg | £0.89 | +20.3% |
UK food prices & inflation — frequently asked questions
What is the current UK food inflation rate?
The annual CPI inflation rate for food and non-alcoholic beverages in the UK is 2.2% over the 12 months to May 2026, according to the ONS Consumer Price Inflation bulletin. This measures the average change in food prices over the previous 12 months.
How much do everyday food items cost in the UK?
This page lists the average UK retail price of 142 individual food and non-alcoholic beverage items from the ONS shopping-prices basket — from staples like bread, milk and eggs to meat, fish, fruit and vegetables. Prices are experimental ONS average prices for the January 2025 reference period (the latest published vintage).
Why did the ONS stop publishing individual food prices?
From March 2026 the ONS stopped publishing individual food price quotes because of changes to retailer data-sharing agreements. January 2025 is therefore the last published average-price vintage for these items, and it is the freshest official item-level data available without a paid API. The headline food inflation rate is still published monthly.
Which UK foods rose most in price over the year?
Among items with a year-earlier comparison, the largest year-on-year price rises were Large chocolate bar (+25.1%), Iceberg lettuce (+22.5%), Instant coffee (+21.2%). The largest falls were Protein powder (-12.0%), Pulses (-10.8%), Peanut butter (-9.3%). Comparison: ONS average prices, January 2024 vs January 2025.
Are these UK food prices official?
Yes. Every figure comes from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and is published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Average prices are experimental statistics designed to capture price change rather than exact shelf prices, so treat the levels as indicative. The food inflation rate is from the ONS Consumer Price Inflation bulletin.
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Methodology & sources
Per-item prices are ONS experimental average prices from the shopping-prices comparison tool (January 2025 reference period, the last published vintage). The headline food inflation rate (2.2%, 12 months to May 2026) is from the ONS Consumer Price Inflation bulletin. Average prices are a weighted mean of monthly price quotes designed to capture price change, so absolute levels are indicative.
Source: ONS — Shopping prices comparison tool (average prices of items in the CPIH basket) (Office for National Statistics). Data as of January 2025; published 2026-06-25. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Ratings reflect the most recent inspection on record and may have changed since publication.
Source: ONS — Consumer price inflation, UK: May 2026 (Office for National Statistics). Data as of May 2026; published 2026-06-25. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Ratings reflect the most recent inspection on record and may have changed since publication.
Related food cost & price data
Every figure comes from official, openly licensed sources. These food-cost hubs link together so you can see the whole price picture.