Peak sausage roll?

Takeaway treats off menu for many as inflation bites

- Richard Partington Senior economics correspondent

When George Osborne came unstuck with his "pastygate" budget 13 years ago a Greggs sausage roll cost 66p: a price seemingly from another planet for today's consumers.

The Conservative chancellor's plan to impose VAT on hot food - including Cornish pasties and sausage rolls - would have resulted in a 20% price rise. The response - led in part by the Newcastle-based bakery chain - was swift: Osborne, branded posh and out of touch, was forced into an embarrassing U-turn.

Since then, the price of a Greggs sausage roll has almost doubled to £1.30 as consumers face a renewed rise in food price inflation.

Growing numbers of people are stopping to think twice about buying a takeaway treat or grabbing their lunch on the go, as the cost of living squeeze pushes consumers to the limit of what they are willing to spend.