Fresh food prices registered a 15% rise for British shoppers, Reuters reports. The news agency stated that the figure represents the highest annual increase for the segment since 2005.

The cost of living soared during 2022, with the British Retail Consortium (BRC) reporting a record overall food price inflation of 13%.

Britain's official rate of consumer price inflation hit a 41-year high of 11% in October, before dropping to 10% in November.

British inflation began to pick up last year, driven by post-pandemic bottlenecks in the domestic and global economy. 

European energy prices also surged after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, contributing to the unrelenting inflation.

"Reverberations from the war in Ukraine continued to keep high the cost of animal feed, fertilizer and energy," BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said to Reuters.

Less perishable items also saw price surges during the past year, with an 11% rise as per BRC data.

This has led to many British households struggling to make ends meet. According to de ONS, December saw 6% of families running out of food because they could not afford to buy more.