The price of food has soared by 13.1 per cent in the past year, according to the latest inflation figures.
Consumer Price Index inflation eased slightly to 9.9 per cent in August, down from 10.1 per cent in July, according to the Office for National Statistics.
But the fall, which came as a surprise to many economists, was driven by a dip in the price of fuel, with the cost of many essential items continuing to soar.