A recent study by Which? has uncovered the supermarket items experiencing the highest price increases. According to the research, fish prices surged by 9.7% year-on-year in May, with energy drinks following closely behind with a 5.9% rise.
Interestingly, butters, spreads, and chocolate saw a decline in prices, experiencing a decrease in inflation by 0.8%.
The overall trend indicates a slowdown in food price hikes, with annual inflation for supermarket food and drink dropping to 3.1% in the three months leading up to May 2026, down from 4.1% in February.
Compared to its peak of 17% in the three months until April 2023, food inflation has now reduced to 2.4% on a monthly basis in May.
Waitrose emerged with the highest inflation rates at 3.8% annually in May, while Aldi recorded the lowest at 0.8%.
In response to the findings, a spokesperson from Waitrose mentioned that they have invested over £20 million in lowering prices across their range to ensure affordability without compromising quality and high welfare standards.
Which? notes that its inflation tracker, comprising 25,000 items, is not accessible to supermarkets. Own-label budget groceries faced a higher range-based inflation of 4% compared to branded groceries, which saw a milder increase of 2.2%.
Separate research by Worldpanel by Numerator revealed a decrease in UK grocery inflation to 3.1% for the four weeks ending May 17, 2026, down from 3.8% in April.
Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicated a 3% rise in food and non-alcoholic beverage prices in the 12 months leading up to April 2026, down from 3.7% in the previous 12 months until March.
Reena Sewraz, Which? Retail Editor, emphasized that while food price inflation may seem to be easing, consumers are still grappling with the aftermath of years of escalating grocery costs.
Andrew Opie, Director of Food & Sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, highlighted the efforts made by retailers to provide value amid challenges posed by increased energy and commodity costs due to the Middle East conflict and domestic policy implications.
The statistics reveal the annual inflation rates for May 2026 and emphasize the importance of cost comparison and shopping choices for consumers to maximize their savings.
