People in the UK are buying more frozen food to keep their costs down, it has been revealed, as figures show UK annual food bills have risen by £1,378.
The average weekly food shop has risen by £26.50, almost three times the national living wage, as it’s revealed that worrying shoppers are turning to the frozen aisles to save money.
The increase means that food shoppers will be spending an additional £1,378 a year on their annual food bill and, according to new research, the rising price of fresh food is worrying 87% of Brits as the cost-of-living crisis starts to impact their shopping habits.
The average household size in the UK means that homeowners are now spending, on average, £132 on their weekly food shop.
With prices rising and Brits feeling the pinch, shoppers have now turned to buy more frozen goods.
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According to the research conducted by Kirsty’s, three quarters of Britons are now buying more frozen products than ever before to save money.
UK shoppers said that, aside from the cost saving, other reasons for this switch to buying frozen is that the food lasts longer (77%), it’s cheaper (60%) and it makes for less fresh food waste (39%).
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Kirsty Henshaw, founder of Kirsty’s said: “The cost-of-living crisis is having a huge impact on shopping habits, and whilst shoppers still like the convenience of chilled meals when making choices for their evening meal, but when it comes to the weekly shop, we are seeing more shoppers than ever buying frozen.
“The increases in costs are also obviously impacting food manufacturers, earlier this year we were prompted to start making frozen meals because of a global free-from manufacturer deciding to no longer serve the UK due to spiraling transport costs.”
Londoners have been hit the hardest when it comes to their food bill with their weekly shop rising £33.20, whilst in the north west shopping bills have risen to an average of £27.40.
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Kirsty’s recently addressed the cost-of-living crisis amongst its own staff and handed all factory-based colleagues a 5% wage increase.
Despite efforts to fend off inflation, British consumers continue to suffer from spiking prices on essentials like grocery shopping.
According to Kantar, food prices reached 13.9% inflation in September 2022 – the highest figure ever recorded
Recent news also shows shoppers are resorting to purchasing discounted produce to help battle price rise with “Tesco Perfectly Imperfect” and “Morrisons Naturally Wonky” sales rising drastically.
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Research from grocery retail app Ubamarket indicates that 60% of shoppers in Britain carry out their weekly food shop across multiple retailers in a bid to keep their expenditures down.
Nonetheless, a shocking 64% of respondents revealed supermarket price matching and on-shelf offers don’t go far enough to alleviate their increasing food bills during the cost-of-living crisis.
Although most retailers have begun national discounts and promotional campaigns, consumers are still finding it hard.
The Greater Manchester book café serving literary afternoon teas and build-your-own bouquets
Daisy Jackson
If you like your afternoon tea with a side of good books, there’s a Greater Manchester café where you can quite literally have your cake and read it too.
Tucked inside this charming bookish spot, afternoon tea arrives with an unexpected twist. Rather than being presented with the usual three-tiered stand, you’re handed a stack of heavy hardback books.
But don’t start worrying that you’ve accidentally wandered into a very niche library club. The books are hiding something.
Lift the covers in Peony & Parchment – or, more accurately, open the book-shaped boxes – and you’ll discover a full afternoon tea concealed inside.
There are dainty sandwiches to get stuck into, including tiny egg mayo, herby chicken salad, ham and mustard, and cheese and tomato focaccia, alongside a little quiche.
Then comes the scone – classic, fluffy and ready for the obligatory dollop of clotted cream and jam. And, because no afternoon tea should leave you feeling like you’ve been short-changed in the cake department, there are five miniature slices to work through.
Afternoon tea concealed in a stack of booksSome of the other bakes on display
There’s a Victoria sponge with a dreamy vanilla cream, lemon drizzle, rich chocolate cake, a Bakewell slice and a pecan pie, all sourced from a local bakery just across the alleyway.
It’s all served with a pot of tea or coffee, with the option to add a glass of prosecco.
And the bookish theme doesn’t stop at the afternoon tea.
Downstairs you’ll find shelves packed with books, including the intriguing ‘blind books’. Instead of judging a book by its cover, you’ll be given clues and a short summary of what lies inside before taking a gamble on your mystery read.
Downstairs in Peony & Parchment‘Blind books’A role playing village for kids
There’s also plenty here to keep younger visitors entertained, thanks to a children’s area complete with a mini role-playing village.
And if books and cake weren’t enough, there’s another string to this café’s bow.
The Bloom Bar lets you build your own bouquet. Choose the size you want, then wander around selecting your own stems and foliage to create something that’s uniquely yours.
You can build your own bouquetThe Bloom Bar at Peony & Parchment
Of course, you don’t have to be visiting specifically for the afternoon tea. The wider menu includes tapas, full breakfasts and sandwiches, making it just as suitable for a leisurely brunch, lunch or coffee-and-cake stop.
So whether you’re there to discover your next favourite novel, assemble a bouquet, entertain the kids or simply eat your way through five different miniature cakes, this is one café where there are plenty of chapters to explore.
Acclaimed Manchester cocktail bar shuts down after a decade due to ‘persistent water issues’
Daisy Jackson
An acclaimed cocktail bar in Manchester has announced its closure after more than a decade in the city centre.
Wood & Company, which opened in a time when ‘secret’ and ‘hidden’ bars were all the rage in the city, has confirmed it’s closing down for good.
The bar has said that ‘persistent water issues in our old basement building’, along with rising costs, has led to them taking the touch decision to call it a day.
And the announcement comes just one week after Manchester bid farewell to another of its leading cocktail bars, when Red Light shut down.
Wood & Company is tucked away off Cross Street, disguised behind an almost completely anonymous door reading ‘Goods entrance, keep clear’.
The bar first opened in April 2016 on South King Street, taking over the former 39 Steps site, and was the work of the team behind fellow Manchester bars NoHo and Dusk Til Pawn.
From the outset, Wood & Company deliberately kept things low-key. There was no grand launch or flashy frontage – instead, drinkers had to find the unassuming entrance and head downstairs into a dark, intimate basement, where the focus was firmly on cocktails.
It quickly established a reputation for doing the basics exceptionally well, with a menu mixing classics with more inventive creations and bartenders who knew their stuff. While the ‘hidden bar’ trend eventually became something of a Manchester cliché, Wood & Company managed to outlast the fad and build a loyal following of its own.
Manchester cocktail bar Wood & Company has announced its shock closure
Over the years, its understated, New York-inspired atmosphere and serious approach to cocktails made it one of the city’s more enduring independent drinking spots.
But sadly, it’s now the end of the road.
Wood & Company said in a statement: “It is with a heavy heart that we announce this news.
“Unfortunately, due to persistent water issues in our old basement building and rising costs, we have made the difficult decision to close our doors for the final time after 10 years.
“Thank you to everyone who visited, many great nights were had.”
Georgina Pellant -
18th October 2022 
