Vic Harper, CEO of The Bread and Butter Thing, has called on the government to treat affordable fresh food as prevention infrastructure, not charity, in response to rising food prices and declining public health.
Food Prices and Health Crisis
Recent reports indicate UK food prices are on track to be 50% higher by November 2026. Coupled with analyses of unhealthy Britain, Harper highlights a dual crisis: food has become unaffordable, and households absorbing these price rises are getting sicker.
By the time poor health appears in data, families have already been cutting food quality, quantity, and variety for years. The Bread and Butter Thing runs affordable food clubs from Maidstone to Northumberland, supporting over 10,000 households weekly. Last week alone, 439 new members joined.
Survey Findings
A 2025 survey of more than 8,500 members reveals the mechanism: among households with £0-£25 left monthly after housing and energy bills, 87% describe their overall health as not good. Food is the first expense cut when budgets tighten, with fresh food being the most expensive. Many neighbourhoods are food deserts.
Call for Government Action
The food industry warns the Treasury that without intervention, the next inflation wave will hit consumers already at the edge. For these families, that wave has been arriving in slow motion for years. However, the trajectory is reversible.
More than a quarter of members with long-term conditions report improved health since joining, and three-quarters report better access to healthy food. Harper urges the government to stop treating affordable fresh food as charity and start treating it as prevention infrastructure.
