Energy crisis and labour shortage drive up cost of weekly shop
Food prices climbed at their fastest rate on record last month as shoppers were stung by the energy crisis and the war in Ukraine.
Fresh food cost 13.3pc more last month than it did in October 2021, according to the shop price index compiled by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), marking the steepest increase since the organisation started collecting the monthly data in 2005.
The price of tinned goods and other food stored at room temperature rose by 9.4pc, meaning the price of goods on shop shelves climbed by 11.6pc overall.
Global food prices have risen sharply this year after Russia’s invasion of grain-exporter Ukraine.