TESCO shoppers were shocked at the price of olive oil after spotting a bottle for £7.
A stunned customer took to social media to share their disbelief at the cost of the cooking essential.
Supermarket giant Tesco is selling a 1litre bottle of La Espanola Extra Virgin Olive Oil for £7.05.
The shopper shared the post in the Extreme Couponing and Bargains Facebook group, according to The Mirror.
They claimed to have bought the oil for £2.85 just weeks before.
"Bulk buy. Prices are going mad", they said.
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But buyers could actually be saving cash in the long-term by buying this bigger version.
Tesco is also selling a smaller bottle of La Espanola olive oil spray for £2, which works out at £1 per 100ml.
That's higher than the 71p per 100ml for the bigger bottle.
And Tesco charges less for the 1litre bottle of oil than Waitrose, where it is priced at £7.35.
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But Sainsbury's is selling a 750ml bottle for £5.25, which works out at 56p per 100ml.
It just goes to show that prices can vary between supermarkets and sizes, and that shoppers should check these carefully to get the best deal.
The Sun could not find the exact bottle of La Espanola oil on sale at any of the other major supermarkets.
And when it comes to the price rise, the shopper was right.
In early June, a 1itre bottle was priced at just £2.85, according to Trolley.co.uk , which includes the average price at the three supermarkets it's stocked at, Tesco, Waitrose and Ocado.
It then shot up to £5.20 before hitting £7.05 in the same month – a price rise of around 40%.
Tesco has been approached for comment.
It comes after inflation soared to a new 40-year high of 9.4% in July.
Inflation is the measure of how goods and services change price-wise compared to last year.
Food and petrol prices have jumped, leaving many shoppers struggling to keep up with rising food bills.
For example, food prices and non-alcoholic drinks jumped 9.8% in the year to June – the highest rate seen since March 2009.
Milk, eggs and cheese saw some of the biggest price hikes, as well as vegetables, meat and ready meals.
A pint of milk now costs 55p, up from 42p a year ago, with bread up 9.7% and pasta 15.9%.
Shoppers also recently voiced their shock at the rising cost of Lurpak – which was spotted on sale in Sainsbury's for £7.25.
One angry shopper also said they were 'shocked' after spotting a box of Bird's Eye fish fingers on sale for £7 in Sainsbury's.
One supermarket source said that the industry was facing “screaming levels of inflation but retailers aren’t passing it all on, everyone is having to take some of the pain.”
The Bank of England has predicted inflation could hit 11% by the end of the year – and could even climb higher still.
How to find the best olive oil prices
The LatestDeals app has a supermarket price comparison feature that includes all the major supermarkets like Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Aldi.
Meanwhile Trolley.co.uk will tell you where to find cheapest groceries including B&M, Aldi and Tesco.
If you're not fussed on having branded olive oil, you cool look at supermarket own brands.
For instance Aldi sells its own brand for £2.79 for 1 litre.
Asda is also selling a bottle of its own brand olive oil for £4.25, which is 42.5p per 100ml.
Where can I get help with my food bill?
If you are struggling with your food bill then there are a number of charities and organisations which may be able to help, on top of the providers that offer their own grants.
Hard-up households can grab free cash towards essential living costs, including a £36 voucher for food items.
The extra support comes as part of the government's Household Support Fund (HSF) initiative.
The current batch of funding will be available until September 30 – but households are being urged to apply for help as soon as possible.
Money is dished out to local councils, which will decide what sort of help to offer in their area and who is eligible.
To find out what support is on offer in your area, speak directly to your local council, or visit its website for more details.
Even if you're not eligible for help under the Household Support Fund you may be eligible for cash elsewhere to help with the cost of living.
A number of councils have opened up their applications for a discretionary fund to help those on Universal Credit, Council Tax Support and other means-tested benefits. You could get up to £300.
Millions of pensioners are also set to get an extra £300 later on this year.
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Those on Universal Credit and benefits will also get a one-off payment of £650 to help with the cost of living.
If you are worried about the cost of living or debt, then a number of charities may also be able to offer free advice or help:
- National Debtline – 0808 808 4000
- Step Change – 0800 138 1111
- Citizens Advice – 0808 800 9060
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