Cost of cooking a family meal soars by up to 27% as price of some ingredients doubles
The cost of some popular family meals has jumped by more a quarter in the past 12 months with some essential ingredients doubling in price, according to our figures.
Our figures also show that inflation on budget-range foods continues to outstrip more premium options by some distance.
The everyday meals soaring in price
In May, we analysed the prices of almost 26,000 food and drink products at eight major supermarkets – Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose – to see how everyday product prices are being affected.
The overall annual food inflation rate was 16.5% in the month to the end of May, but we also looked at the cost of making four popular family meals to get a real sense of how rising prices are affecting households.
We based our prices on a three-month average from March-May 2023 against the same three-month period in 2022, and all meal costs are based on four portions.
Pasta bake
For a quick pasta bake for four, we analysed the prices of pasta sauce, penne pasta and cheddar cheese. Across the supermarkets the average cost of the meal had gone from £2.68 (67p per portion) in 2022 to £3.39 (85p per portion) now - a 27% increase.
Fish fingers, chips and beans
The overall price of this meal increased by 24% - from £3.06 (76p per portion) to £3.79 (95p per portion). This was mainly driven by baked beans, which went up by an average of 36%, although some increased by far more.
HP Baked Beans in a Rich Tomato Sauce (415g) went from 54p to 95p at Asda - a hike of 77%. On the other hand, Sainsbury's baked beans in tomato sauce (200g) actually went down from 30p to 22p - a 27% reduction.
Frozen chips saw one of the biggest average increases on our shopping list, at 23%, with some varieties doubling in price. Own-brand French Fries (900g) were up from 83p to £1.75 at Sainsbury’s, an increase of 110%. A similar item at Lidl - Harvest Basket French Fries (900g) - went up 99% from 68p to £1.35.
But McCain Naked Oven Chips Straight (900g) at Tesco actually dropped from £2 to £1.95 year on year, a reduction of 2.5%.
- Find out more: which is the cheapest supermarket?
Spaghetti bolognese
The cost of cooking a standard spaghetti bolognese using beef mince, onion, carrots, stock, garlic, chopped tomatoes and dried spaghetti, as well as olive oil to cook with, has increased by 20% from £5.53 on average (£1.38 per portion) in 2022 to £6.63 (£1.65 per portion) in 2023.
Some key ingredients increased by much more. Shoppers in Northern Ireland were hit with a 59% increase in the price of Tesco own-label Northern Irish beef mince (4% fat, 500g), which rose from £2.89 to £4.60.
Roast chicken dinner
We also looked at a typical Sunday lunch of roast chicken, potatoes, peas, broccoli, carrots, cabbage and gravy as well as vegetable oil to cook with.
While this was the most expensive meal overall, the increase was 13% - the smallest of the four meals in our analysis. For a meal for four people, the overall average across the supermarkets in 2022 was £6.43 (£1.61 per portion), and is now £7.28 (£1.82 per portion).
While vegetable oil (43%) and chicken gravy granules (40%) stood out as having large increases across the supermarkets, Asda's own-label Frozen for Freshness Garden Peas 1kg surged from 76p to £1.33 - an increase of 74% over 12 months.
These examples of massive price hikes on some everyday ingredients needed to make a basic meal show how difficult it is, particularly for people with low incomes, to feed a family.
- Find out more: how to spend less at the supermarket
What's happening to supermarket inflation overall?
For the first time since February, overall inflation on food and drink fell below 17% to 16.5% in the month to the end of May 2023 compared to the same period the previous year.
But according to our food inflation tracker, own-label budget goods are showing no sign of slowing down, soaring from 25% year-on-year inflation in April to 26.6% in May. By contrast, inflation on regular own brands (19.1%), premium own brands (12.9%) and branded (13.2%) food and drink all slowed month on month (although prices are still increasing).
While supermarket own-brand budget products are still usually the cheapest available, the scale of these price increases demonstrates how low-income shoppers are being hit hardest by soaring inflation. To make matters worse, Which? previously found that these value ranges are rarely sold in smaller convenience stores despite two-thirds of people with a household income under £21,000 shopping in these stores at least once a week.
- Find out more: what's happening to supermarket food prices?
What should supermarkets do?
Our findings come as the government is discussing how supermarkets can help consumers.
While the whole food supply chain affects prices, we strongly believe supermarkets could do much more to help those struggling most in the face of rampant food price increases, by ensuring that smaller convenience stores stock a range of essential budget lines that support a healthy diet.
Supermarkets also need to commit to clearer unit pricing, especially on promotions and loyalty card offers, so that people can easily work out which products offer the best value.
Sue Davies, Which? Head of Food Policy, said: 'The cost of food during this period of economic uncertainty has turned the pleasure of mealtimes with loved ones into a nightmare for the millions that are struggling to afford food.
'Supermarkets must put their customers first by stocking budget lines in all of their stores, including convenience stores, to ensure easy access to basic, affordable food ranges as well as providing transparent pricing so people can easily work out which products offer the best value.
'Official Inflation data due out next week is still expected to show food prices at an elevated level. If supermarkets can’t do the right thing by their customers, it’s time for the government to take action.'
- Do you want to see your supermarket take action to support people through the cost of living crisis? Sign our Affordable Food for All petition
What do the supermarkets say?
Every month when we publish our food inflation figures, Which? offers supermarkets the opportunity to comment on their own products with the highest inflation. While some minor price variation may exist due to different prices at different stores across the country and sampling techniques, we are confident this is unlikely to impact overall averages and inflation figures.
An Asda spokesperson said: 'All supermarkets have been impacted by global inflationary pressures which has increased the price of key ingredients. We’re working hard to keep prices in check for customers and we remain the lowest-priced major supermarket - a position recognised by Which? in their regular monthly basket comparison, naming Asda as the cheapest supermarket for a big shop every month for the last three years.
'We’ve recently locked the price of over 500 popular branded and own-label products until the end of August, to give customers more control over what they spend each week.'
A Lidl spokesperson said: 'We’re committed to always offering our customers the best value and are proud that multiple independent price comparisons, including those conducted by Which?, continue to show that a basket of shopping at Lidl is consistently lower than at other supermarkets.'
Sainsbury's and Tesco declined to comment.
