Overbaked prices? What a Greggs sausage roll and Pret meal deal say about how much Britons will pay

Food inflation pushes consumers to the limits of what they are willing to spend, costing retailers sales

When George Osborne came unstuck with his pastygate" budget 13 years ago, a Greggs sausage roll cost 66p: a price from another planet for consumers in 2025.

The Conservative chancellor's plan to impose VAT on hot food - including Cornish pasties and sausage rolls - would have imposed a 20% price rise. The backlash - led in part by the Newcastle-based bakery chain - was swift: Osborne, branded posh and out of touch, was forced into an embarrassing U-turn.