Households have seen the price of some food rocket by more than seven times faster the average.
The cost of average basket of groceries rose by 4.2% in the year to December, the Office for National Statistics said.
That masks smaller increases for some products but a sharp rise in the cost of plenty of others.
Supermarkets and others know many households keep a close eye on how much everyday items cost, so go all out to avoid putting those price up.
But the ONS data shows even these have risen in price, with a typical 250g box of tea bags up 5p to £2.05 in the past year.
Milk, another staple purchase, has risen by 3p to an average 46p a pint.
And a typical 800g loaf of white sliced bread is 3p more expensive than a year ago at £1.07.
Those increases, while relatively small, add up given how often such products are bought.
The ONS data also highlights how cost increases for fruit and vegetables vary a lot.
For example, a kilo of cooking apples has risen by a typical 6p - or 3% - to £2, but the same amount of dessert apples has jumped in price by nearly 25%, from £1.89 to £2.36.
Some of the biggest increases have been seen in the cost of fresh meat.
Lamb chops have risen nearly 9% per kilo in the past year, from average £13.46 to £14.65.
A kilo of minced beef has jumped by 25%, from £5.09 to £6.39.
And the cost of a Sunday roast has soared, with a kilo of roasting beef surging in price from a typical £8.81 to £11.33 - a 29% leap.
Yet the largest increase overall seen in the ONS’s data for December was for margarine, where it said an average 500g tub had shot up in price by 31% in the past year, from £1.35 to £1.77.
Among all the increases, the ONS found some items were actually cheaper than a year ago.
Bananas, another regular purchases for many households, cost an average of 83p a kilo last month, up from 79p in May but 2p less than a year ago.
See how your shopping basket has changed in the past year
Minced beef (per kilo)
December 2020 - £5.09
December 2021 - £6.39
Up - £1.30 (25%)
Rump steak (per kilo)
December 2020 - £14.46
December 2021 - £16.27
Up - £1.81 (12.5%)
Roasting joint of beef (per kilo)
December 2020 - £8.81
December 202 - £11.33
Up - £2.52 (28.6%)
Lamb chops (per kilo)
December 2020 - £13.48
December 2021 - £14.65
Up - £1.17 (8.7%)
Pork loin - (per kilo)
December 2020 - £6.06
December 2021 - £6.51
Up - 45p (7.4%)
Back bacon (per kilo)
December 2020 - £6.69
December 2021 - £7.11
Up - 42p (6.3%)
Pork sausages
December 2020 - £4.89
December 2021 - £5.31
Up - 42p (8.6%)
Salmon fillets (per kilo)
December 2020 - £13.94
December 2021 - £14.92
Up - 98p (7%)
Tea bags (per 250g)
December 2020 - £2
December 2021 - £2.05
Up - 5p (2.5%)
Instant coffee (100g jar)
December 2020 - £2.94
December 2021 - £3.02
Up - 8p (2.7%)
White sliced loaf (800g)
December 2020 - £1.04
December 2021 - £1.07
Up - 3p (2.9%)
Granulated sugar (per kilo)
December 2020 - 71p
December 2021 - 72p
Up - 1p (1.4%)
Wholesale sliced bread (800g)
December 2020 - £1.05
December 2021 - £1.09
Up - 4p (3.8%)
Spreadable butter (500g)
December 2020 - £3.13
December 2021 - £3.47
Up - 34p (10.8%)
Margarine/low fat spread (500g)
December 2020 - £1.35
December 2021 - £1.77
Up - 42p (31%)
Pint of milk
December 2020 - 43p
December 2021 - 46p
Increase - 3p (6.9%)
Potatoes (per kilo)
December 2020 - £1.30
December 2021 - £1.38
Up - 8p (6.1%)
Cauliflower
December 2020 - 75p
December 2021 - 91p
Up - 16p (21.3%)
Mushrooms (per kilo)
December 2020 - £2.99
December 2021 - £3.23
Up - 24p (8%)
Cooking apples (per kilo)
December 2020 - £1.94
December 2021 - £2
Up - 6p (3%)
Dessert apples (per kilo)
December 2020 - £1.89
December 2021 - £2.36
Up - 47p (24.8%)
Pears (per kilo)
December 2020 - £1.91
December 2021 - £2.35
Up -44p (23%)
Grapes (per kilo)
December 2020 - £3.83
December 2021 - £4.10
Up - 27p (7%)
Tomatoes (per kilo)
December 2020 - £2.23
December 2021 - £2.41
Up - 18p (8%)
Onions (per kilo)
December 2020 - 83p
December 2021 - 88p
Up - 5p (6%)
