As with last year’s annual price tracker survey, we have taken a look at the mean price of a selection of products, typically sold in a craft bakers, to gauge how prices have changed on average since March 2010.

The average price of all items in craft bakeries bar the jam doughnut, which decreased from 58p to 56p rose during the past year of tracking.

The price of a large white sandwich loaf went up from £1.23 last April, to £1.45 in January 2011, while a wholemeal loaf of the same size rose from £1.28 to £1.48. A ham salad sandwich in June last year was £1.79 on average, but £2.22 in March 2011, while a sausage roll rose from 63p to 76p.

Supermarket prices

A Warburtons medium sliced wholemeal loaf had increased in price from £1.21 in May (£1.22 in Asda), to £1.35 across the major multiples by February this year up 14p in nine months. It also spent spells on promotion for £1 in Asda and Tesco.

Kingsmill 50/50 has fluctuated a lot over the past year: it was £1.27 in May, but was promoted heavily across all the major multiples during the year. At its last check in February it was £1.25 in Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose, and was on offer in Morrisons for 80p and Asda for £1.

Hovis medium soft white could be bought for a range of prices last May: £1.04 in Tesco and Waitrose; £1.05 in Morrisons; £1.25 in Sainsbury’s and £1.14 in Asda. Fluctuating in price across the year, at its lowest, it sold at 75p in Morrisons in November. Yet in February 2011 it was £1.15 in all the supermarkets.

A four-pack of ISB chocolate muffins ranged between £1 (Tesco and Asda) and £1.69 in Waitrose, in May 2010. By February 2011, they were on offer in Tesco and Morrisons for £1, but remained £1.69 in Sainsbury’s and £1.29 in Waitrose, and had increased to £1.54 in Asda.

In February, the price for a ham and cheese sandwich was £1.70 in Tesco; £1.90 in Morrisons; £2.80 in Sainsbury’s; £2 in Waitrose; and £1.80 in Asda.

The coffee chains

In February, the price of a regular cappuccino had risen 15p to £2.45 in Coffee Republic, and by 10p in Starbucks, Caffè Nero and Costa to £2.50, £2.10 and £2.50 respectively. In July 2010, the eat-in price of a chocolate muffin was £1.70 in all four coffee shops; by March 2011, all bar Coffee Republic had upped the price by 5p.

Caffè Nero drove up the price of its ham and cheese panini by 10p in November to £3.70. Star-bucks upped its price in February by 10p to £4.05, but was back to £3.95 in March. Coffee Republic’s and Costa’s prices stayed level at £3.45 and £3.95 respectively.

Topics