Food bills Will you really save cash if you buy frozen?

Some experts claim heading for the freezer will cut costs and help save the planet. Zoe Wood looks at the figures and off ers some tips

With runaway food price inflation now adding more than £800 to the average household’s annual grocery bill, Britons are being forced to change the way they shop, whether it’s by switching supermarkets or by ditching their favourite brands in favour of cheaper own-label alternatives.

New figures suggest savvy shoppers are also increasingly making a beeline for the freezer aisle not only to save on staples, but also for treats such as upmarket ready meals and desserts.

But does this really cut your food bill and, if so, by how much? What are the best (and worst) things to buy? Here, we lift the (freezer) lid on the savings some experts say people can make, and offer up some top tips from freezer fans.

Sales are up

With the latest official numbers showing food and drink prices up 19% in the past 12 months, it is perhaps no surprise that the freezer section – with its reputation for low prices – is back in vogue.

Shoppers are buying less food due to the cost of living crisis.

However, despite this, in the 12 weeks to 16 April, frozen food sales volumes rose by 0.5%, according to supermarket analysts Kantar, while sales of fresh food fell back 3.3%.

Frozen food is the “greatest story never told to the British public”, says Andrew Staniland, the group buying director at Iceland Foods.