Supermarkets charging shoppers £666 for a kilo of dried parsley - more than luxury goods like caviar and truffles, investigation finds

Published: 22:00, 18 July 2026 | Updated: 22:10, 18 July 2026 You might think that at more than £660 per kilogram, the most expensive food on sale in Britain's leading supermarket is luxury caviar. In fact, it is a small jar of parsley. Shoppers are being charged staggeringly high prices for basic products that cost very little to produce, The Mail on Sunday has found. Dried herbs, fruit teas and children's snacks are priced at vastly more per gram than luxury goods such as caviar and truffles, our investigation shows. Consumer expert Martyn James said: 'Manufacturers get away with overcharging because they have the financial clout to pay for prominent displays of goods in supermarkets. 'They know that when we just want to get the shop done, we'll grab things and put them in the basket, even though we know we are not getting a good deal.' They charge what they know we are willing to pay, regardless of value for money, he says. The MoS analysed the cost per kg of popular products and compared them with the same weight of luxury goods. The MoS focused on Tesco, the UK's biggest supermarket chain, to compare prices that shoppers were charged within one supermarket on one day, but it is a similar picture at other chains. A small jar of parsley, made by Schwartz, cost £2 for just 3g, equivalent to more than £666 per kg We found a small jar of dried flat parsley, made by Schwartz, cost £2 for 3g – or £666.67 per kg. That is more than five times the cost of Lemberg's Pink Salmon Caviar, which costs £129 per kg, yet the very common dried herb can be bought from UK wholesalers for only £7 per kg. Similarly, Kiddylicious Apple & Broccoli Munchy Sticks cost £109.38 per kg, despite nearly 80 per cent of the ingredients being rice and corn flour. Compare that with Lindt's Lindor Extra Dark Chocolate truffles, containing 70 per cent cacao, at £37.50 per kg. Pukka's Organic Night Time Chamomile & Lavender tea – largely made from chamomile flowers – cost £4.75 for 20 bags, or £237.50 per kg. But a kilogram of fresh summer truffles from premium dealer Laumont costs £158. A Tesco spokesman said: 'We are committed to keeping the cost of the weekly food shop affordable for Tesco customers.' The other brands did not respond to requests for comment.