Cheese prices up to 50% more expensive in just two months | News
Major cheese lines have seen significant price increases over the past two months, analysis of Assosia data has revealed.
Of the 877 core cheese lines available at the traditional big four, 123 SKUs have seen a price increase of more than 10% since the start of December, the data shows.
The biggest price hike during this period was for Grated and Sliced Extra Mature Cheddar lines from Pilgrims Choice at Morrisons, both of which rose by 50% in two months, increasing from £1.50 per pack to £2.25 for both SKUs.
Castello Soft Cheese with Pineapple stocked at Asda saw the next largest rise, up 49.4% since the start of December, when prices rose from £1.54 to £2.30. This time last year the line cost £1.20 per pack, equating to a 91.7% year-on-year increase.
Other Pilgrims Choice lines also rose significantly during the past two months, with several lines at Morrisons rising 23% in just two months and at Tesco by 20% in the same period.
While many more lines have seen smaller rises over the past two months, in many cases the hikes – the latest of several to be imposed on the cheese category over the past year – now add up to significant annual price increases.
According to the Assosia data, some 424 core cheese lines at the major multiples busted the general food inflation rate of 16.8% (as of December 2022), with two lines seeing rises of over 100% compared with this time last year.
Tesco Cheddar Black Pepper Truckle saw an annual increase of 175%, while Tesco Finest Smoked Baking Brie rose by 100% year on year.
Additionally, 69 lines saw rises of over 50%, including household staples such as Asda’s own brand range of block cheddars, Mature, Medium and Mild, which all saw 50.8% price increases in a year.
“Asda is the lowest-priced traditional supermarket and we continue to do all we can to keep prices in check for customers,” said an Asda spokesman.
”Some categories, including dairy, are seeing higher levels of inflation and production…
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