A viral 1997 Tesco receipt has highlighted how much grocery prices have soared, with one shopper's basket costing just £26.27 then. Today, the average UK household spends over £120 a week on food.
A journalist attempted to recreate the same shop at a modern Tesco. The total came to £62.70, more than double the original price. Items like Weetabix rose from 65p to £3.50, cooking oil from 53p to £3.00, and a bottle of Coca-Cola from 35p to £2.00.
Not all prices increased uniformly. Yogurt was only 23p more, mayonnaise 37p more, and some branded items like deodorant rose only from £1.79 to £2.00. However, cat food jumped from 49p to £5, and a bouquet of flowers from £1.66 to £5.
Tesco boss Ken Murphy warned that the Iran war creates "further uncertainty" for prices. The Food and Drink Federation has predicted food inflation could hit nine percent by the end of the year, partly due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Economist Harvir Dhillon of the British Retail Consortium noted that once prices spike, they rarely retreat. Professor Tim Lang of City University argued that the UK is vulnerable because it produces only about 60 percent of its food and has little storage, calling food security a component of "modern hybrid warfare."
