FANS of a cuppa are the latest to be hit by the cost of living crisis as the price of tea has soared by almost a third.
The price of teabags, loose leaf, builder’s brew and herbal remedies have all gone up in recent months, according to new research by The Grocer.
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Its research covered the “big four” supermarket chains over a period of eight weeks, analysing the prices of major brands as well as supermarket own-brand brews.
Around 159 lines, including different pack sizes and types of tea, have seen their prices jump.
The price of a pack of Twinings Tea went up from £5.25 to £6 in Tesco, while in Morrisons the price jumped up from £5.30 to £5.99.
A 20-pack of Twinings Camomile teabags rocketed by 32% from £1.70 to £2.25 in Sainsbury’s.
But as ever, it depends where you shop. According to price comparison site Trolley.co.uk, you can get the same pack in Asda for £1.69.
Herbal teas have also risen as a 40-pack of Pukka branded bags has jumped from £3 to £3.30 in Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, according to the Grocer.
Household favourite Tetley tea has gone up by as much as 20p a pack across its range.
But tea-lovers aren’t the only people to see prices soar in recent weeks.
McDonald’s this week announced it was increasing the price of its 99p cheeseburger for the first time in 14 years.
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And the price of KitKats, Cheerios and Nesquik have all gone up as consumer giant Nestle has increased prices.
According to Trolley.co.uk, the average price for a KitKat has risen by 15% from 60p to 70p since the beginning of this year.
Other big names to increase prices including cake-maker Mr Kipling, Magnum manufacturer Unilever, and Premier Foods, the firm behind Bisto and Ambrosia.
Many firms have blamed inflation for their price rises, saying they have been forced to pass on increasing costs of petrol, beef and more to customers.
Tetley said it was “dealing with rising costs across the board, from raw materials to shipping and packing.”
Associated British Foods, which owns Twinings, stated last month that it’s grocery business was benefitting from the price increases.
Fiachra Moloney from Ekatera, which owns Pukka and PG Tips told The Grocer: “Our Pukka brand uses the highest quality organic herbs, pays a premium for independently certified ‘fair’ ingredients and is sold in 100% recyclable envelopes to enclose our plant-based teabags.
“As a result of global supply and demand changes and the premium paid for sourcing and packaging our teas sustainably, the cost to produce Pukka teas has risen significantly.
“However, in-store pricing is at the sole discretion of retailers and we would not comment on the pricing decisions of specific retailers.”
We recently tested supermarket own-brand teabags against Tetley to find the tastiest brew.
How can I reduce the price of my supermarket shop?
Soaring inflation means millions of households are noticing their weekly food shop get more expensive.
So it’s no wonder that families are looking for ways to keep their costs down.
Spotting yellow-sticker bargains and sticking to own-brand products where possible are just some of the tips that experts recommend.
Websites such as Trolley let you compare prices across different supermarkets so you can find the cheapest option for your shop.
For example, Cravendale Filtered Fresh Semi Skimmed Milk is cheapest at Asda as its priced at £1, according to the site, compared to £1.60 at the Co-op.
Take into account the cost of travel if you’re swapping supermarket though.
If Asda is your cheapest supermarket but is the furthest away from your home then your fuel costs may make cancel out your savings.
Elsewhere, we’ve looked at the nine supermarket swaps that could save you £340 a year.
And Nobbly Bobbly ice lolly fans were outraged when they discovered the ice-cream had shrunk in size – but the price has stayed the same.
