Brits are paying more for a cuppa, with the price of Twinings, Pukka and Tetley creeping up in the mults.
Research by The Grocer shows several breakfast and herbal tea SKUs from the three brands have risen over past weeks, by as much as 75p in some cases.
Assosia data for the eight weeks to 26 July shows rises across more than 159 lines in the big four alone.
More than 80 of those were Twinings SKUs, the data shows.
A 100g pack of Twinings’ Everyday Tea Bags, for instance, has risen from £5.25 to £6 in Tesco and from £5.30 to £5.99 in Morrisons. A 20-pack of the brand’s Camomile Tea, meanwhile, rose from £1.70 to £2.25 in Sainsbury’s.
The Grocer has approached Twinings for comment.
Pukka prices went up too, across more than 40 packs of 20 in Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, all of which rose from £3 to £3.30 or £3.29 in some cases. Its prices did not rise in Asda or Tesco over the eight-week period, the data shows.
Fiachra Moloney, UK&I GM at Pukka owner Ekatera said Ekaterra “like most companies” had been hit by significant cost inflation. “Our Pukka brand uses the highest quality organic herbs, pays a premium for independently certified ‘fair’ ingredients and is sold in 100% recyclable envelopes to enclose our plant-based teabags.
“As a result of global supply and demand changes and the premium paid for sourcing and packaging our teas sustainably, the cost to produce Pukka teas has risen significantly. However, in-store pricing is at the sole discretion of retailers and we would not comment on the pricing decisions of specific retailers.”
In Tetley’s case, some 18 SKUs rose in price over the period, by between 10p and 20p across the board. “Like every manufacturer we’re dealing with rising costs across the board, from raw materials to shipping and packing,” a Tetley spokeswoman told The Grocer.
“Whilst we do what we can to manage these costs, unprecedented inflation across much of our cost base means that some of these costs have to be passed on. Doing so means we can maintain our standards of product quality, and continue to invest in our brand and our robust supply chain.”
Increases weren’t limited to the trio of big brands, though. The price of a raft of Tesco Finest own-label teas has risen too, including its 250g English Breakfast, 125g Darjeeling and 250g Assam.
Although some tea SKUs had risen in price in Asda, the data suggests the retailer has not raised its prices in the category to the same extent over the past eight weeks.
A Sainsbury’s spokeswoman stressed prices “can go up and down for a range of reasons” and the retailer was “committed to offering our customers great choice and value”. She pointed out a 160-pack of PG Tips Original teabags was on Price Lock at £3.30 while its Hubbard’s Foodstore bags were price-matched with Aldi at £1.29.
Tea isn’t the only hot drink getting pricier. Coffee prices have risen on the high street, too, with recent data from Lumina Intelligence showing the average price of a hot coffee out rose 3.1% to £2.94 between February and May this year.
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