Sky-high food prices are forcing people to change how they eat and cook. Stretched household budgets mean shoppers are buying fewer ingredients, cooking simpler meals and using their microwaves more, according to data firm Kantar.
It comes as supermarket inflation fell to 16.5 per cent in the four weeks to June 11 - the lowest rate this year. That's down from a record 17.5% in March, but it's still the sixth highest level since the 2008 financial crisis.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: "This is the lowest rate of grocery price inflation we've seen in 2023, which will be a relief to shoppers and retailers. But prices rising at 16.5% isn't something to celebrate and it's still the sixth highest monthly figure in the past 15 years.
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"Price rises are now being compared to the increasing rate of grocery inflation seen last summer, which means that it should continue to fall in the coming months, a welcome result for everyone."
The Manchester Evening News has been tracking the cost of the same eight supermarket essentials since March 2022. And our weekly comparison of the budget staples shows Lidl has been the cheapest supermarket since January.
A shopping basket made up of made up of coffee, tea bags, milk, bread, butter, beans, chicken and mince last week cost £11.79. But the high inflation rates mean a weekly shop that cost £50 a year ago would now set shoppers back £58.25.
Kantar found that almost 70% of households are either 'extremely' or 'very worried' about food and drink inflation, compared to just over two thirds when asked the same question in January.
It narrowly remains the second most significant concern behind rising energy bills. Shoppers have been trying to swerve the full force of price increases by switching to cheaper own label lines, with sales up 41% compared to last year, and changing how they eat and cook, Kantar said.
Mr McKevitt added: "People are thinking more and more about what they eat and how they cook as the cost-of-living crisis takes its toll on traditional behaviours. The most prominent change we've seen is that people are preparing simpler dishes with fewer ingredients.
"Our data shows that the public are turning away from their oven and increasingly using microwaves, which reflects the shift to simpler cooking."
There were 4% fewer meals made using an oven according to Kantar's most recent 12-week data compared to the same period last year, while microwaved meals rose by 8%, and Mr McKevitt noted a rise in food prepared with toasters and grills.
Meanwhile, the proportion of products sold for £1, had almost halved in a year from 9% to 5%, according to Kantar. Mr McKevitt said: "Traditionally, 'round-pound' prices have been attractive to shoppers, who find them easier to relate to and practical as well with no leftover change.
"But, with retailers eager to offer value and cash buying less popular, £1.25 has emerged as an increasingly important price point. It now vies with £2 as the second most popular price for a grocery item."
Barbecue food has also shot up in price, with fresh sausage up 16% and fresh burgers 13% more expensive. Aldi was the fastest growing retailer for the quarter, seeing sales rise by 24.6% to a record market share of 10.2%.
Lidl's sales growth was only slightly behind its fellow discounter, increasing sales by 23.2% to take 7.7% of the market.
