Fish prices up 9.7% in a year as supermarket food bills keep climbing

Fish prices in Britain's big supermarkets rose 9.7% in the year to May, according to new research from consumer group Which?, even though the overall pace of food price rises has slowed. Its tracker found annual inflation for supermarket food and drink fell to 3.1% in the three months to the end of May 2026, down from 4.1% in February.

Slower inflation does not mean cheaper food. It means prices are still going up, just less quickly than before. Which? found energy drinks up 5.9% and fizzy drinks up 3.9% over the year, while butters and spreads were the only category on its list where prices actually fell.

The research also found a wide gap between the chains, with Waitrose showing the highest inflation and Aldi the lowest. For households that have already spent years absorbing higher grocery bills, where they shop now makes a real difference to what they pay.

How Which? measures supermarket price rises

Which? tracked 20 popular categories of food and drink at Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose. The consumer group says its tracker draws on a list of 25,000 items and that the supermarkets do not have access to that full list. That means the chains cannot see exactly which products are being checked.

Which? said food inflation is now far below its peak of 17% in the three months to the end of April 2023. It also reported that, measured on a monthly basis, food inflation fell to 2.4% in May.

Other figures point the same way. Worldpanel by Numerator found UK grocery inflation eased to 3.1% for the four weeks ending May 17, 2026, down from 3.8% in April. Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows food and non-alcoholic beverage prices rose by 3% in the 12 months to April 2026, down from 3.7% in the 12 months to March.

Reena Sewraz, Which? Retail Editor, said that although food inflation may look like it is easing, shoppers are still paying the price for years of rising grocery costs, and many households remain under pressure. Andrew Opie, Director of Food & Sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said retailers were doing everything they could to offer value. He argued that the UK has the most affordable grocery prices in Western Europe because of fierce competition between supermarkets.

Budget shoppers and Waitrose customers saw the steepest rises

Which? found Waitrose had the highest inflation, with prices up 3.8% on an annual basis in May, while Aldi had the lowest at 0.8%. A Waitrose spokesperson said that since the research the chain had invested more than 20 million in new lower prices across its range. The spokesperson said this would significantly reduce the prices of many shopping basket staples. Which? has not published any figures yet showing what effect those cuts have had.

The findings are awkward for people who have already switched to cheaper ranges to save money. Which? found households relying on own-label budget groceries faced the highest range-based inflation at 4%, compared with a more moderate 2.2% rise for branded groceries. In other words, the cheapest products are not always the ones holding their price best.

Everyday basics were still rising too. Which? recorded fresh fruit and water both up 3.4%, vegetables up 3.1%, and milk and meat both up 2.5%. At the other end of the list, cheese rose just 0.2%, chocolate showed no change at 0%, and butters and spreads fell by 0.8%.

Key numbers

• 3.1%: annual supermarket food and drink inflation in the three months to the end of May 2026, according to Which?
• 17%: the peak of food inflation, in the three months to the end of April 2023
• 9.7%: the rise in fish prices, the fastest of any category Which? tracked
• 4%: inflation on own-label budget groceries, the highest of any product range
• 2.2%: the more moderate rise for branded groceries
• 25,000: the number of items on the Which? tracking list, which supermarkets cannot see in full

What happens next for food prices

The slowdown may not last. Reena Sewraz of Which? said inflation is due to rise again in the coming months, which is why shoppers are looking for every way to cut the cost of the weekly shop. Andrew Opie of the British Retail Consortium said retailers face higher energy and commodity costs linked to the Middle East conflict, as well as what he called the soaring cost of the government's domestic policies.

Neither Which? nor the retailers have published a forecast for how high prices could go or when. Nothing in this research changes prices on its own. It shows where costs are rising fastest and which chains have kept increases lowest.

What you can do now

Which? says comparing prices and shopping around is one of the most effective ways to make your money go further. Its separate analysis of actual prices, not just inflation, found Aldi was the cheapest supermarket overall in May. Checking a few products you buy every week at more than one store can show quickly whether switching would save you money.

The consumer group also suggests writing a shopping list and sticking to it, looking out for yellow-sticker reductions, and freezing leftovers so less food goes to waste. It recommends swapping some branded goods for supermarket own-label. Bear in mind that own-label budget ranges rose faster than branded goods in this research, so it pays to compare the price on the shelf each time.

Other tips from the list include joining online discount groups and picking up the free supermarket magazines, which often contain money-off vouchers. Small savings like these can add up across a month of shopping.

Your questions answered

If inflation is falling, why is my shopping still getting dearer

Lower inflation means prices are rising more slowly, not that they are coming down. Which? found supermarket food and drink prices were still 3.1% higher than a year earlier in the three months to the end of May 2026, on top of years of earlier rises.

Which supermarket had the smallest price rises

Aldi had the lowest inflation of the chains Which? tracked, at 0.8% in May, while Waitrose had the highest at 3.8%. Which? also found Aldi was the cheapest supermarket overall when it compared actual prices.

Are any foods actually getting cheaper

Of the 20 categories on the Which? list, only butters and spreads fell in price, down 0.8% over the year. Chocolate was flat at 0% and cheese rose just 0.2%, while fish, energy drinks and fizzy drinks rose the most.