Experts warn of 'worryingly high' food price rises as bills increase by £470

EXCLUSIVE: Experts warn of 'worryingly high' food price rises as bills increase by £470All eyes are on the Middle East waiting to see a ceasefire will be called, but Brits are facing price increases when doing the weekly food shop, even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens soonCommentsNewsEmma Mackenzie Features Writer07:00, 19 Apr 2026View 3 ImagesBrits will feel a hit to their wallets as food price set to rise due to Middle East war(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)From the missiles over the Middle East to the milk on your kitchen table, the true cost of modern warfare is about to be baked in to the British weekly shop.‌Experts are warning that few products on our supermarket shelves will be safe as food itself becomes the latest weapon in a global conflict - leaving the UK extremely vulnerable due to our heavy reliance on imports. Even if a tentative ceasefire holds, the average British family - who spends £100 a week - is already braced to fork out an extra £470 a year just to keep the cupboards full if food inflation rises as experts have predicted‌One fifth of the world's oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran forced closed following US and Israel strikes in late February. Global markets have spiralled, and with President Trump launching a counter-blockade of the narrow waterway, prices are expected to rise. At the beginning of the month, The Food and Drink Federation (FDF), which represents 12,000 food and drink manufacturers, warned food inflation could hit nine percent before the end of the year.‌READ MORE: Summer shortage fears with farming, food, drink and flights in peril due to Iran warREAD MORE: Iran war leaves Brits facing summer shortages of BBQ meat and World Cup beerEven if the Strait reopened soon, and things returned to normal, the damage is already done. Harvir Dhillon, Economist at the British Retail Consortium (BRC) warns that once prices spike, they rarely retreat. "Wages, transport costs and raw materials all remai...