By . Sean Poulter, Consumer Affairs Editor . Food prices are predicted to rise faster than incomes every year until 2018, with meat and fresh fruit and vegetables becoming only an occasional treat for some. The cost of putting food on the table is forecast to rise by 3.8 per cent next year and still further in 2015, according to industry experts. They also say the cost of eating out in restaurants and pubs has increased by seven per cent in the past six months. Fresh fruit and vegetables are due to become a rare treat for some as food prices are set to rise . A report from Prestige Purchasing, which supplies the restaurant trade, said lower harvests as a result of volatile weather, and high demand for meat from the growing middle classes in countries such as China and India have resulted in a ‘perfect storm’ to push up costs. Fruit prices rose by 10.2 per cent in the past year, vegetables by 5.4 per cent, meat by 5.2 per cent and fish by 4.9 per cent. Evidence from government studies shows that many UK households, particularly those on low incomes, have consumed less fruit, vegetables and meat since the cost-of- living squeeze began five years ago. They have switched to less healthy, processed food, while fresh meat and produce are increasingly seen as a treat. Prestige said the horsemeat scandal earlier this year, coupled with high costs of production and rising demand is keeping the price of beef high. Mature cheddar cheese is up by 13 per cent from last year because of limited milk supply. By contrast, chicken should get cheaper, according to Prestige, after a 20 per cent fall predicted in the cost of corn used for feed. There is also hope that a sharp increase in the cost of salmon in recent years is unlikely to continue, because shoppers simply cannot afford to pay any more. Prestige said its figures are in tune with those from analysts Conlumino, which has forecast that average household food bills will rise by £850 per year by 2018 – adding up to £19.6billion to the UK’s annual grocery bill. Supermarkets battle it out to prove they give the best value. But one shop opening today can really claim to be Britain’s cheapest store. The ‘social supermarket’, in Goldthorpe, South Yorkshire, is packed with branded groceries, reduced by up to two thirds. Up to 500 people can become members of the discount store run by Community Shop, as long as they claim one of a specified list of benefits including Employment Support Allowance. Stock will arrive daily from manufacturers and suppliers with the consent of shops such as Tesco, Asda, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons and Ocado.  Sarah Dunwell, of Community Shop’s parent firm, said 500 people will be given membership for six months to test the idea, with the hope of launching 20 nationwide next year, including six in London. ‘It is not just about the long-term unemployed but really hard-working families who are struggling,’ she said. The supermarket will use residual food not needed by larger retailers for reasons such as damaged packaging or the wrong labelling. ‘While we have people in the UK going hungry it is wrong such foods should be thrown away,’ Miss Dunwell added. Average pay rises are running at just two per cent a year in the private sector and one per cent in the public sector, according to figures collated by Income Data Services. David Read, chief executive of Prestige, said: ‘Unpredictable weather patterns caused by climate change, an ever-increasing global population, rising production costs, commodity futures trading and water scarcity is putting a lot of pressure on food prices around the world. And this isn’t going to stop any time soon. This will not only have a significant impact on the costs of eating out and the things we eat, but also the average grocery bill. ‘We urge families to learn from the restaurant trade and take simple steps in planning and shopping to help control spiralling costs.’ He recommended families and pensioners consider switching to frozen vegetables rather than buying fresh, only to throw a lot of it away. He also suggested a return to simple ‘meat and two veg’ meals, rather than elaborate dishes with lots of ingredients. Mr Read added: ‘You can get more value out of meat by using cheaper cuts such as chicken thighs instead of breasts or preparing dishes with more mixed ingredients, such as meat stews with pulses, root vegetables and dumplings. ‘People should reconsider the weekly shop and switch to frozen. Recent research has found that up to six meals a week are wasted by the average UK family. ‘To reduce this, families should consider whether it would be more economical to pick up fresh produce two or three times a week or consider switching some ingredients from fresh to frozen.’
Cost of putting food on the table to rise by 3.8 per cent next year .
Eating out has become more expensive by seven per cent .
Fewer UK households consuming fruit, vegetables and meat .
By . Sean Poulter, Consumer Affairs Editor . Food prices are predicted to rise faster than incomes every year until 2018, with meat and fresh fruit and vegetables becoming only an occasional treat for some. The cost of putting food on the table is forecast to rise by 3.8 per cent next year and still further in 2015, according to industry experts. They also say the cost of eating out in restaurants and pubs has increased by seven per cent in the past six months. Fresh fruit and vegetables are due to become a rare treat for some as food prices are set to rise . A report from Prestige Purchasing, which supplies the restaurant trade, said lower harvests as a result of volatile weather, and high demand for meat from the growing middle classes in countries such as China and India have resulted in a ‘perfect storm’ to push up costs. Fruit prices rose by 10.2 per cent in the past year, vegetables by 5.4 per cent, meat by 5.2 per cent and fish by 4.9 per cent. Evidence from government studies shows that many UK households, particularly those on low incomes, have consumed less fruit, vegetables and meat since the cost-of- living squeeze began five years ago. They have switched to less healthy, processed food, while fresh meat and produce are increasingly seen as a treat. Prestige said the horsemeat scandal earlier this year, coupled with high costs of production and rising demand is keeping the price of beef high. Mature cheddar cheese is up by 13 per cent from last year because of limited milk supply. By contrast, chicken should get cheaper, according to Prestige, after a 20 per cent fall predicted in the cost of corn used for feed. There is also hope that a sharp increase in the cost of salmon in recent years is unlikely to continue, because shoppers simply cannot afford to pay any more. Prestige said its figures are in tune with those from analysts Conlumino, which has forecast that average household food bills will rise by £850 per year by 2018 – adding up to £19.6billion to the UK’s annual grocery bill. Supermarkets battle it out to prove they give the best value. But one shop opening today can really claim to be Britain’s cheapest store. The ‘social supermarket’, in Goldthorpe, South Yorkshire, is packed with branded groceries, reduced by up to two thirds. Up to 500 people can become members of the discount store run by Community Shop, as long as they claim one of a specified list of benefits including Employment Support Allowance. Stock will arrive daily from manufacturers and suppliers with the consent of shops such as Tesco, Asda, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons and Ocado.  Sarah Dunwell, of Community Shop’s parent firm, said 500 people will be given membership for six months to test the idea, with the hope of launching 20 nationwide next year, including six in London. ‘It is not just about the long-term unemployed but really hard-working families who are struggling,’ she said. The supermarket will use residual food not needed by larger retailers for reasons such as damaged packaging or the wrong labelling. ‘While we have people in the UK going hungry it is wrong such foods should be thrown away,’ Miss Dunwell added. Average pay rises are running at just two per cent a year in the private sector and one per cent in the public sector, according to figures collated by Income Data Services. David Read, chief executive of Prestige, said: ‘Unpredictable weather patterns caused by climate change, an ever-increasing global population, rising production costs, commodity futures trading and water scarcity is putting a lot of pressure on food prices around the world. And this isn’t going to stop any time soon. This will not only have a significant impact on the costs of eating out and the things we eat, but also the average grocery bill. ‘We urge families to learn from the restaurant trade and take simple steps in planning and shopping to help control spiralling costs.’ He recommended families and pensioners consider switching to frozen vegetables rather than buying fresh, only to throw a lot of it away. He also suggested a return to simple ‘meat and two veg’ meals, rather than elaborate dishes with lots of ingredients. Mr Read added: ‘You can get more value out of meat by using cheaper cuts such as chicken thighs instead of breasts or preparing dishes with more mixed ingredients, such as meat stews with pulses, root vegetables and dumplings. ‘People should reconsider the weekly shop and switch to frozen. Recent research has found that up to six meals a week are wasted by the average UK family. ‘To reduce this, families should consider whether it would be more economical to pick up fresh produce two or three times a week or consider switching some ingredients from fresh to frozen.’
for some. The cost of putting food on the table is forecast to rise by 3.8 per cent next year and restaurants and pubs has increased by seven per