Food banks struggling with demand as shoppers cut back due to soaring costs

More than 40 per cent say they have had to limit what they buy at supermarkets

- BEN CHAPMAN

Food charities have warned that they are struggling to keep up with demand as new figures show that more than four in 10 Britons have cut back on groceries due to rocketing prices. A poll by the Office for National Statistics found that 92 per cent of people reported an increase in the price of their food shopping, with 41 per cent saying they had cut back as a result.

The troubling findings are the latest indication that Britain's cost of living crisis is beginning to bite. The figures come as former Sainsbury's boss Justin King warned that a "golden era" of cheap food in the UK was over and shoppers would have to expect higher prices while “adjusting how they prioritise their budgets”.

Mr King argued that supermarkets could do little to help people by lowering prices because their margins were already low. Big retailers have been under pressure to keep prices low after announcing strong financial results while many of their customers struggle to make ends meet. Mr King told the BBC's Today programme: “I think we have perhaps been through a golden era.” He highlighted that, on average, households spend less of their budgets on food, although he conceded that low-income families had limited ability to deal with rising prices.

FareShare, which distributes food to frontline charities, urged supermarkets to give more food donations to help keep up. Chief executive Lindsay Boswell said demand for food is “as high as it's ever been”, with 90 per cent of charities reporting increased need.