FOOD bills are no long as cheap as chips after a wet winter and dry summer has caused prices to soar.
Families and businesses in North East Lincolnshire can now expect to pay about 4 per cent more for their weekly groceries compared to this time last year.
The price increase is almost double the current rate of inflation, which stands at 2.7 per cent, making the cost of a week's worth of food now £76.83 for the average household – £5.66 more than last year.
And according to consumer advice company Which?, grocery costs will continue to rise until 2022.
So to find out which supermarket offers you best value for money, the Grimsby Telegraph has carried out a price comparison at five local stores.
We calculated the costs of 10 household essentials at the stores and the results are below.
One person who will be using the results wisely is Brian Turner, from Grimsby, who said: "We used to always shop at Sainsbury's until Morrisons was opened as we could walk to it but we tend to shop around now
" I have noticed price increases but we always look for the better deals."
And businesses are being affected by the rising costs too.
Ian Stead, owner of Steel's Corner House Restaurant, Market Street, Cleethorpes, said: "I have really noticed the prices going up recently and they are well above inflation. Everything has been affected.
"We buy roughly three to five tonnes of potatoes a week and we are now paying 25 per cent more than we did last year.
"We haven't put our prices up yet but we are seriously considering it.
"We cannot sell at a loss and we will have to raise prices at some point this year but we are holding off for as long as possible.
"I am expecting things to go up again because the weather has been so bad. We have not had good growth and it has made a real difference."
Some consumer groups are calling on the Government to make pricing in supermarkets simpler.
Although the constant rises in prices may cause problems for shoppers, for some it is not all bad news.
Steve Norton, chief executive of Grimsby Fish Merchants Association, said an increase in food prices could have a positive impact on the town's seafood processing industry, bringing fillets of cod, haddock and salmon into line with red meats and poultry when it comes to feeding a family on a budget.
He added: "As merchants and processors we are always optimistic that the good times are round the corner. This year, in particular, could see seafood come into its own.
"Increases in the price of other foods will be advantageous and will give consumers real choice as it will hopefully lead to some interesting innovation and new product development."
The town's two biggest seafood brands, Young's and Saucy Fish Co, are both advertising heavily on national television at present, ensuring millions of viewers of prime-time television are aware of the product choices.
How five of the area's supermarkets weighed up with pricesThe Grimsby Telegraph has been shopping at five of the area's supermarkets to compare the prices of branded and basic goods.
Where there is no alternative brand, the same product was used in both calculations.
Asda, Holles Street, Grimsby
Washing-up liquid:
Fairy 630ml: £1.
Smart Price 600ml: 40p.
Bread:
Warburtons medium sliced white bread: £1.
Smart Price sliced white bread: 50p.
Baked beans:
Heinz Baked Beans x1 can: 50p.
Smart Price Beans x1: 28p.
Apples:
Pink lady Apples x4: £2.
Asda mixed apples x9: £2.
Cheese:
Cathedral City cheddar 350g: £3.98.
Smart Price cheddar 385g: £2.
Milk:
Cravendale semi-skimmed two litres: £1.50.
Asda semi skimmed x4 pints: £1.
Margarine:
Flora Original 500g: £1.70.
Asda Sunflower Spread: 75p.
Toilet roll:
Andrex x4 rolls: £1.75.
Smart Price x4 rolls: 67p.
Tea and coffee:
Tetley x 80 bags: £2.
Smart Price x80 bags: 27p.
Nescafe Original 100g: £2.78.
Smart Price Instant Coffee 100g: 47p.
Potatoes:
Asda Extra Special 2kg: £2.
Smart Price 2.5kg: 99p.
TOTAL: Branded: £20.21.
Discount: £9.33.
Aldi, Cleethorpes Road, Grimsby
Washing-up liquid:
Magnum 500ml: 59p.
Bread:
Warburtons medium sliced white bread: £1.
Village Bakery medium white: 53p.
Baked Beans:
Corale Premium Baked Beans x1: 33p.
Everday Essentials x1: 28p.
Apples:
Specially Selected Pink Lady x6 £1.89
British Cox's x8 £1.29
Cheese:
Coloured cheddar 800g: £3.89
NO BRAND
Milk:
Cowbelle four pints: £1
NO BRAND.
Margarine:
Beautifully Butterfully 500g: 89p.
Sunflower Spread 500g: 75p.
Toilet roll:
Saxon Luxury x4 £1.59.
Everday Essentials x6: £1.89.
Tea and coffee:
Tetley 120 bags for the price of 80: £2.25.
Red Label Tea 160 bags: £1.99.
Nescafe Original 150g: £3.49.
Alcafe Roast Coffee 200g: £1.65.
Potatoes:
Specially Selected Maris Piper 2.5kg £1.99.
NO BRAND
TOTAL: Branded £18.91.
Cheaper £15.85.
Ramsdens, Cleethorpe Road Grimsby
Washing-up liquid:
Fairy Original 530ml: £1.65.
Heritage 500ml: 79p
Bread:
Warburtons medium sliced white bread: £1.44.
Baked beans:
Hienz Beans x1 75p
Heritage x1: 35p
Apples:
Heritage x4 Royal Gala: £1.25
Cheese:
Cathedral City cheddar 200g: £2.49
Heritage value cheddar 400g: £2.60
Milk:
Cravendale semi skimmed two litres: £1.99
Heritage semi skimmed two litres £1.28
Margarine:
Flora Original 500g: £1.70.
Heritage Buttery Spread 500g: £1.
Toilet roll:
Andrex x4 £1.99.
Heritage x4 89p.
Tea and coffee:
Tetley 80 bags £2.55
Heritage 80 bags £1.59
Nescafe Original 100g £2.95.
Heritage Coffee 100g £1.69
Potatoes:
Heritage red 2kg: £2.10
TOTAL: Branded £20.86.
Cheaper £14.98.
Tesco, Market Street, Grimsby
Washing-up liquid:
Fairy Original 433ml £1.25.
Everyday Value 500ml 33p.
Bread:
Warburtons medium sliced white bread: £1.45.
Everyday Value: 50p.
Baked Beans:
Heinz Beans x1 70p.
Everyday Value x1 28p.
Apples:
Tesco Organic Pink Lady x4: £2.75.
Everyday Value x5: 82p.
Cheese:
Cathedral City 350g: £3.00.
Everyday Value 0.558kg: £4.07.
Milk:
Cravendale semi skimmed two litres: £1.98.
Tesco semi skimmed four pints: £1.29.
Margarine:
Flora Original 500g £1.70.
Everyday Value Buttery: 89p.
Toilet roll:
Andrex x4 £1.75.
Everyday Value x4: 70p.
Tea and coffee
Tetley 80 bags: £2.35.
Everyday Value 80 bags: 27p.
Nescafe 100g: £2.68.
Everyday Value 100g: 47p.
Potatoes:
Albert Bartlett Rooster 2kg: £2.45.
Eat Fresh 2.5kg: £1.95.
TOTAL: Branded £22.06.
Cheaper £11.57.
Sainsbury's, Corporation Road, Grimsby
Washing-up liquid:
Fairy Original 433ml: £1.25.
Basics 500ml: 40p.
Bread:
Warburtons medium sliced white bread: £1.45.
Basics sliced white bread: 50p.
Baked Beans:
Heinz Beans x1 70p.
Basics x1 28p.
Apples:
Pink Lady by Sainsbury's x4 £2.75.
Cox Apples x8: £1.
Cheese:
Cathedral City 350g: £3.00.
Basics 0.575kg: £4.19.
Milk:
Cravendale semi skimmed two litres: £1.95.
Sainsburys semi skimmed 4 pints: £1.95.
Margarine:
Flora Original 500g: £1.70.
Butterlicious by Sainsburys 500g: £1.29.
Toilet roll:
Andrex x4: £2.08.
Basics x6: £1.96.
Tea and coffee:
Tetley 80 bags: £2.35.
Basics 80 bags: 27p.
Nescafe Original 100g: £2.78.
Basics 100g: 53p.
Potatoes:
Albert Bartlett Rooster 2kg: £2.45.
Basics 2kg: £1.19.
TOTAL: Branded £22.46.
Cheaper £13.56.
Editor's Comment THE pressure on the household purse is becoming greater – with worse predicted as we are warned of further price increases at our shops. The weekly bill for an average home of two adults and two children must now be sky high when compared to a similar family even five years ago. People need to eat, it is as simple as that! Yes shopping around can make a difference and add up to some pretty healthy savings. But that does not alter the fact that budgets are being squeezed and prices are noticeably higher. Add such rises onto the other bills of fuel, heating and clothing and you will see a family that is left with very little – and this comes at a time when wages, and benefits, have failed to go up in line with these costs. So come on, Government, how about trying something radical – offer incentives for companies that will pledge to drive their prices down, get people spending more and give us all a kick start! How much has your food bill increased? Let us know and let us know where you have found savings. Comment on this below.