Grocery inflation is back on the rise again for the first time since May last year, according to Which?'s supermarket food and drink inflation tracker report published on Friday (July 17).
Which? analysed the prices of more than 26,000 food and drink items at eight major supermarkets to see how different products are being affected.
Overall, inflation has gone up from 2.4% last month (YoY) to 2.6% this June (YoY). Before this, it had been falling since May last year. It's a small increase but could be a sign of what's been forecast as a result of the conflict in the Middle East and closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Recently, Sainsbury's chief executive Simon Roberts said grocery inflation had so far been lower than many in the industry expected, but warned there remains 'pressure in the system' from significant cost pressures across food supply chains.
Fish prices worst affected
It seems inflation has everything to do with the price of fish, as this is the category worst hit in the tracker. Fish has seen particularly high inflation – 11% in June 2026 (YoY).
Fish prices have been affected by the geopolitical situation in the Middle East but also the war in Ukraine, as a significant proportion of whitefish is caught by Russian boats. A 35% tariff was imposed on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.
Both Tesco Breaded Chunky Haddock Fillets (350g) and its Breaded Chunky Cod fillets went up from £3.49 to £5.40 in the year, a 54% increase.
Prices are averages for the three months to the end of June 2026, compared with the same period a year earlier.
Everyday items under pressure
Energy drinks saw an increase of 5.5% and fizzy drinks have seen an increase of 3.3% in the year to June 2026.
The fizzy drinks increase can perhaps be partly explained by the rising cost of CO2 due to shortages caused by the Middle East conflict.
Sweet treats also experienced some higher-than-average inflation. Biscuits and chocolate were up 3% and 3.8% respectively in the year to June 2026.
All prices are averages for the three months to the end of June in 2026 compared to the same period a year earlier.
Some food is getting cheaper
Cheese only rose by 0.3% in June 2026 compared to June 2025, though not all cheese products were immune to increases.
Meanwhile the average price of butters and spreads fell by 0.9% in June 2026 compared to June 2025.
Dairy products saw some of the highest inflation during the cost of living crisis, generally peaking in late 2022 and early 2023. Butters and spreads recorded the highest annual inflation of all categories in our tracker, peaking in November 2022 at a huge 30.6%.
Which?’s tracker looks at 20 popular categories of food and drink at eight supermarkets – Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.
It compares average prices across the same three-month and one-month periods year on year, including discounts but not multibuys or loyalty card offers.
Overall inflation figures are weighted based on supermarket market share and the sales volume of each product category. Prices are provided by an independent data provider.