UK food and non-alcoholic beverage inflation remained at 1.3% in September 2026, even as the country’s headline consumer price inflation rose to 3.5%, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics on 21 October.

The annual rate for food and non-alcoholic drinks was unchanged from August and was last lower in September 2021, when it stood at 0.8%.

Food and non-alcoholic drink prices fell 0.2% between August and September. This was the same monthly change recorded a year earlier, explaining why the annual rate remained steady.

For supermarkets, that headline conceals major differences between grocery categories. Food alone increased 1.2% over the year, while non-alcoholic beverages rose 1.6%.

Fish prices increased 8.3% year on year, the strongest rise among the major food groups listed in the ONS release. Vegetables, including potatoes and tubers, rose 2.5%, while fruit increased 1.9% and bread and cereals 1.5%.

By contrast, oils and fats prices were 2.4% lower than a year earlier. Meat prices slipped 0.1%, while milk, cheese and eggs rose just 0.1%.

Those differences matter for category buyers negotiating costs, planning promotions and assessing how much price pressure remains in individual product groups. A low overall grocery inflation rate does not mean every product has become cheaper.

Headline CPI rose from 3.1% in August to 3.5% in September. The ONS identified transport, particularly motor fuels, as the largest upward contributor to the annual change.

Higher costs elsewhere in household budgets could still affect supermarket shopping behaviour, even if annual food inflation remains relatively low. Retailers may continue to face demand for value ranges and promotions.

GTN previously reported that UK food inflation held at 1.3% in August. The September release extends that trend, but adds a fresh breakdown of category price movements.

The next UK consumer price inflation release is scheduled for 18 November 2026. It will show whether grocery inflation remains stable as supermarkets enter the busiest part of their year-end trading period.