By . James Tozer . PUBLISHED: . 18:08 EST, 21 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:11 EST, 22 July 2013 . Not so super: Philip Clarke, CEO of Tesco, warns that the days of bargain buys are over . The era of cheap food is coming to an end, the boss of Tesco warned yesterday. Philip Clarke, chief executive of Britain’s biggest supermarket chain, said rising global demand meant the low prices could not continue for much longer. He spoke as a new poll indicated that consumers would be prepared to pay more for their groceries if they thought it would benefit British farmers. Tesco’s reputation was badly damaged by the horsemeat scandal at the start of the year and Mr Clarke has promised to rebuild customers’ trust. But it faced accusations of profiteering yesterday after raising the price of its basic bottled water by 40 per cent as the country sweltered in the heat. Food price inflation was 2.7 per cent last month, up from 2.4 per cent in May. Mr Clarke is the second supermarket boss, after Waitrose’s Mark Price, to back experts’ warnings that rock-bottom prices would eventually lead to quality being sacrificed. Last month a UN report predicted world food prices could rise by as much as 40 per cent over the next decade, driven by the demands of a growing middle class in China and India. ‘There was a time when we could go to South Africa to buy fruit and be the only retailer there,’ Mr Clarke said, adding: ‘Not any more.’ And he pledged to fulfil a promise to the National Farmers’ Union, made after January’s scandal, to give British producers a better deal. But he admitted the discovery of . horsemeat in beef products had damaged customer trust. ‘Tesco was big . and Tesco was bad,’ he said. Oh no, Tesco: The chief executive of Britain¿s biggest supermarket chain, said rising global demand meant the low prices could not continue for much longer . His comments came as a poll to mark National Countryside Week, which starts today, suggested a majority of British consumers would pay more for food if farmers benefited rather than supermarket shareholders. The poll, by YouGov for The Prince’s Countryside Fund, also indicated that more than 80 per cent of consumers think it is important to buy British. Donald Curry, a trustee of the fund, said: ‘The public are prepared support British farmers, even if that means paying more for food – provided extra money goes directly to the producer.’
No more bargain buys during your weekly show, supermarket boss warns .
Due to rising global demand, food prices will rise, say Tesco's Philip Clarke .
By . James Tozer . PUBLISHED: . 18:08 EST, 21 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:11 EST, 22 July 2013 . Not so super: Philip Clarke, CEO of Tesco, warns that the days of bargain buys are over . The era of cheap food is coming to an end, the boss of Tesco warned yesterday. Philip Clarke, chief executive of Britain’s biggest supermarket chain, said rising global demand meant the low prices could not continue for much longer. He spoke as a new poll indicated that consumers would be prepared to pay more for their groceries if they thought it would benefit British farmers. Tesco’s reputation was badly damaged by the horsemeat scandal at the start of the year and Mr Clarke has promised to rebuild customers’ trust. But it faced accusations of profiteering yesterday after raising the price of its basic bottled water by 40 per cent as the country sweltered in the heat. Food price inflation was 2.7 per cent last month, up from 2.4 per cent in May. Mr Clarke is the second supermarket boss, after Waitrose’s Mark Price, to back experts’ warnings that rock-bottom prices would eventually lead to quality being sacrificed. Last month a UN report predicted world food prices could rise by as much as 40 per cent over the next decade, driven by the demands of a growing middle class in China and India. ‘There was a time when we could go to South Africa to buy fruit and be the only retailer there,’ Mr Clarke said, adding: ‘Not any more.’ And he pledged to fulfil a promise to the National Farmers’ Union, made after January’s scandal, to give British producers a better deal. But he admitted the discovery of . horsemeat in beef products had damaged customer trust. ‘Tesco was big . and Tesco was bad,’ he said. Oh no, Tesco: The chief executive of Britain¿s biggest supermarket chain, said rising global demand meant the low prices could not continue for much longer . His comments came as a poll to mark National Countryside Week, which starts today, suggested a majority of British consumers would pay more for food if farmers benefited rather than supermarket shareholders. The poll, by YouGov for The Prince’s Countryside Fund, also indicated that more than 80 per cent of consumers think it is important to buy British. Donald Curry, a trustee of the fund, said: ‘The public are prepared support British farmers, even if that means paying more for food – provided extra money goes directly to the producer.’
Not so super: Philip Clarke, CEO of Tesco, warns second supermarket boss, after Waitrose’s Mark world food prices could rise by as much as 40 per supermarket chain, said rising global demand