Two other Heinz products also made the top 10 of the average price rise index compiled by consumer group Which? – the cream of the brand with chicken and tomato soups. The investigation comes four months after the company’s products temporarily disappeared from the shelves of Tesco, the UK’s biggest supermarket chain, in a series of price hikes. Heinz is believed to have sought a cost price increase of up to 30% over the summer. Which? found that the list of 79 popular name-brand products outpaced the overall grocery price inflation rate, with none increasing by less than 22%. The findings give a further suggestion as to why British shoppers are turning to budget ranges and discount chains, as annual supermarket inflation hit a record high of almost 15% last month, increasing the average annual bill by £682 annually. Analysts at Kantar say headline food price inflation was 17.2% compared to October 2020 – the closest comparison available to Which? overview. The price of Heinz ketchup rose by an average of 90p but rose by 70% in one particular supermarket over the two years – a rise of £1.06. A spokesman for Kraft Heinz, the ketchup brand’s parent group, said: “Like the rest of the food industry, we continue to face inflationary pressures on ingredients, labor and transport. “As a result, our product prices continue to reflect the cost of production. We value our consumers and know the everyday role Heinz products play in households across the UK. “We remain committed to helping them offset some of the pressures consumers face without compromising on quality. This is done through larger pack sizes, a wider range of entry price points, as well as finding efficiencies in our operations such as removing unnecessary ingredients and investing further in technology.” The second largest average percentage increase among branded products included in the Which? The list was for Dolmio lasagne sauce (470g), which grew by 47%, or 61p, across the six supermarkets over the two years. This was followed by Heinz 400g Classic Cream of Chicken Soup, which was up 46%, and Dolmio Bolognese Original Pasta Sauce, which was up 46%. Butter saw some of the biggest increases. A 500g tub of Anchor spread butter rose by £1.31 (45%) on average, while the same size tub of lightly salted Lurpak rose by £1.17 (35%). Sue Davies, head of food policy at Which?, said: “Our research shows the shocking rate of inflation in some of the country’s favorite branded foods, which is well above the national average and underlines why it is so important for retailers to provide people with a choice of product lines. “Supermarkets need to ensure that budget funds for healthy and affordable staples are widely available in their stores, including smaller stores. Promotions should be targeted at those most in need and supported so they can easily compare product prices to get the best value.” Aris, the owner of Dolmio, was contacted for comment. Subscribe to Business Today Get ready for the business day – we’ll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

The top 10 up-and-comers

Heinz Tomato Ketchup – top to bottom 460g 53% Dolmio lasagna sauce 470g 47% Heinz classic cream of chicken soup 400g 46% Dolmio bolognese original pasta sauce 500g 46% Anchor spreadable butter tub 500g 45% Heinz Tomato Cream 400g 44% Colman’s classic mint sauce 165g 44% Colman’s horseradish sauce 136g 44% Batchelors super noodles BBQ with beef flavor 90g 43% Hovis whole grain granary 800g 43%

  • Based on which? analysis of 79 branded products available at Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose (21 September to 20 October 2020 and 2022)