Food inflation hits an 11-month high

THE price of essential food items such as bread, meat and fish has hit its highest point in 11 months.

- Josie Clarke

Food now costs 2.6% more than it did a year ago, and has risen from 2.4% in March, according to the British Retail Consortium.

Fresh food is also 1.8% more expensive than it was last April, up from 1.4% in March, the BRC’s Shop Price Monitor found.

The consortium has already said it expects food inflation to hit 4% by the second half of the year amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and a £7billion rise in costs from the autumn Budget.

BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “The days of shop price deflation look numbered.

“Everyday essentials including bread, meat and fish all increased prices on the month.