Which? reveals how much Heinz and Dolmio have soared in price at Asda, Tesco and other supermarkets

The price of some of the UK’s most popular branded foods has doubled in two years, according to the consumer insights group Which?

Heinz Tomato Ketchup recorded the biggest average percentage increase, with its 460g top-down version up by 53%, or 91p, across six major supermarkets – although this reached 70% or £1.06 in one particular supermarket over the two-year period.

Dolmio Lasagne Sauce (470g) saw the second biggest average percentage increase of the 79 branded products in the watchdog’s survey, up 47% or 61p in two years and as much as 107% or £1.09 in one supermarket.

Which? compared the prices of the 79 items at Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose over a 30-day period from September 21 to October 20 in both 2020 and 2022.

Heinz 400g Classic Cream of Chicken Soup also went up an average of 46% or 44p across the board from around £1 to almost £1.50.

Student staple Batchelors Super Noodles Bbq Beef Flavour (90g) went up an average of 43% across the six supermarkets from an average 59p to 82p.

Prices also increased on basics such as Hovis Granary Wholemeal 800g, up by an average of 43% or 58p, from £1.39 to £1.97.

One of the biggest price leaps was on branded butter, with a 500g tub of Anchor Spreadable up by £1.31 (45%) on average across all six supermarkets over the two-year period and a 500g tub of Lurpak Spreadable Slightly Salted increasing by £1.17 or 35%.

Parent Product Name	Average price rise	2020	2022	Difference
Heinz Tomato Ketchup Sauce – Top Down 460g	53%	£1.74	£2.65	£0.91
Dolmio Lasagne Sauce 470g	47%	£1.46	£2.07	£0.61
Heinz Classic Cream Of Chicken Soup 400g	46%	£0.95	£1.39	£0.44
Dolmio Bolognese Original Pasta Sauce 500g	46%	£1.44	£2.03	£0.60
Anchor Spreadable Butter Tub 500g	45%	£2.96	£4.27	£1.31
Heinz Cream Of Tomato Soup 400g	44%	£0.95	£1.36	£0.42
Colman’s Classic Mint Sauce 165g	44%	£1.02	£1.47	£0.45
Colman’s Horseradish Sauce 136g	44%	£1.02	£1.47	£0.45
Batchelors Super Noodles Bbq Beef Flavour 90g	43%	£0.59	£0.82	£0.23
Hovis Granary Wholemeal 800g	43%	£1.39	£1.97	£0.58

Which?’s findings suggest that the price of some of Britain’s favourite branded foods may have risen much more sharply than overall inflation of almost 15%, and that prices of specific products can differ significantly across supermarkets.

Sue Davies, head of food policy at Which?, said: “Our research shows the shocking rate of inflation on some of the nation’s favourite branded foods, which is much higher than the national average, and highlights why it is so important for retailers to provide people with a choice of product ranges.

“Supermarkets must ensure budget lines for healthy and affordable essential items are widely available across their stores including smaller convenience stores.

“Promotions should be targeted at those most in need and people supported so they can easily compare the price of products to get the best value.”