Britons 'face expensive Christmas dinner' as food price inflation soars

Official figures show prices were up by 4.2% last month on 12 months earlier, the highest level in four years

Big increases in the price of fish, fats and vegetables have driven food price inflation to the highest level in more than four years.

New data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows food prices last month were up by 4.2% on 12 months earlier, a sharp increase on the 0.6% that food inflation was running at just a year ago. The October increase is the highest since 2013 and prompted the British Retail Consortium (BRC) to warn that consumers face the prospect of an expensive Christmas dinner this year.

Related: 'Butter has gone up by 40%': readers on rising UK food prices

Inflation is when prices rise. Deflation is the opposite - price decreases over time - but inflation is far more common.

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