Tesco milk and mince prices rise by about 8% in a week

Tesco has raised the price of a two-pint bottle of milk by 10p and a 500g pack of mince by 25p in the space of a week, taking the total for an eight-item grocery basket from £13.36 to £13.71. The individual increases are each about 8%, while the basket’s overall cost rose by almost 3%.

The weekly comparison has placed Tesco as the most expensive of six major supermarkets every week since the beginning of August. It remained at the top of the price ranking for a 15th consecutive week.

The basket covers bread, milk, coffee, tea bags, salted butter, baked beans, chicken and mince. The comparison puts Lidl cheapest at £13.06, followed by Aldi at £13.09, Asda at £13.16, Morrisons at £13.17 and Sainsbury’s at £13.33. Lidl has had the lowest total for 11 consecutive weeks.

The price tracking has covered Tesco, Lidl, Aldi, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s since March 2022. It selects the cheapest available products, including items from supermarket budget ranges. The products are not always identical: pack sizes and specifications differ, and some prices are adjusted to compare equivalent quantities.

Tesco’s 500g mince pack contains 20% fat and now costs £3.50, compared with £3.25 previously. The other supermarkets’ listed 500g mince packs contain at least 25% fat. The comparison says 500g packs of 20% fat mince are available for £3.25 at Morrisons, Asda, Aldi and Lidl, as well as at M&S.

The comparison also records Tesco’s two-pint milk at £1.30, up from £1.20. Its other listed basket prices are £2.30 for 200g of coffee, £1.64 for 160 tea bags, £1.85 for 250g of salted butter, 28p for a 420g tin of beans and £2.29 for 300g of chicken. The basket includes an 800g loaf of bread priced at 55p.

Sainsbury’s said a review of a limited number of products did not reflect the value customers could find in its stores, adding that it was committed to offering choice and value. Morrisons said it was working to keep prices competitive while maintaining the quality of its products.

Aldi disputed the comparison’s like-for-like basis, saying its tea bags and coffee were of higher quality than the products selected and that its tins of beans were heavier than some rivals’ tins. The company also cited Which? naming it Cheapest Supermarket of the Year for five years running.

Asda said surveys recognised it as the best-value full-range supermarket and pointed to low prices on branded products and everyday essentials. Tesco had been approached for comment on the latest price changes.

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