From milk to crisps: why the price of basic food items is rising

Be it meat, coffee or pasta, the costs of UK grocery staples are going up. We look at the cocktail of cause and effect inflating your bills

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Households in the UK are facing a cost of living crisis as the price of essential items goes up and a cut in take-home pay looms in the shape of a national insurance increase.

Across the board, the latest official figures show inflation on food and drink prices was running at 4.8% in December, although that disguises bigger rises in the cost of some essentials.