With food prices rising 5.7% year-on-year, holidaymakers should expect to pay more for many summer ‘bestsellers’.
Sausages grilled on the barbecue, an ice cream enjoyed by the beach, a pint of beer taken on the terrace. Small summer pleasures that the French will want, as usual, to enjoy during their holidays. Except that inflation has passed by. On food, the rise in prices reached 5.7% in June over one year according to INSEE. Le Figaro takes stock of the impact of inflation on summer’s star foods and beverages.
Increases to be expected on the ice
It is one of the undisputed stars of the summer. Ice cream should still be as popular this year, despite a higher price. “By the sea, it should be rare to find a scoop at 2.50 euros at an artisan ice cream parlor. We will rather be around 3 euros“Warns Bruno Aïm, president of the National Confederation of Glaciers of France (CNGF).
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In particular, the rise in the cost of raw materials: “Raspberries have taken 70% increase in recent months, eggs 60%. As for stabilizers, which give texture to the ice cream, we used to buy it between 15 and 18 euros per kilo, whereas now we are between 45 and 55 euros per kilo.Increases to which must be added those of electricity and gas. “We all have boilers, so as to pasteurize sorbet ice cream“, explains Bruno Aïm, who says he pays “1000 euros more per month of electricity” right now.
The same upward trend is at work in supermarkets, for industrial ice cream. The “individual ice cream specialtieshave indeed increased by almost 5% in June over one year, according to figures from the panelist IRI.
BBQ prices skyrocket
Summer is, of course, barbecue season. Sausages, prime rib, grilled meats, the choice of meats is wide. All have suffered price increases. “Price changes are based on inflation, so between 4 and 7%“, we say to the French Confederation of butchery, butchery-charcuterie, caterers (CFBCT).
“A sausage that cost 1.20 euro will cost 1.25 euro. The beef skewer that you pay 3 euros or 3.50 euros, you will pay 10 cents more. For a rib of beef, we are one euro more“, thus illustrates the president of the professional organization, Jean-François Guihard. According to IRI data, which only takes into account supermarket prices, chipolatas and merguez rose as much as 11% in June in one year.
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Several factors are at work behind these increases. One is old: the drop in production year after year. “We lose 2% of beef farmers every year, for lack of remuneration“raises Jean-François Guihard. Others are related to the war in Ukraine: rising energy costs – “gas and electricity for poultry houses and pig farms for example, fuels for agricultural machinery– and the increase in the cost of cereal feed for livestock.
Beyond the meat, the entire barbecue budget is on fire. Because sauces and condiments have also increased: +14% in one year for mustard, +8% for mayonnaise and +4% for ketchup, according to IRI. Crisps are not to be outdone, with a jump of around 5.5% in one year. “Because they are mostly made with oil, often sunflower“, explains Emily Mayer, expert at the IRI. This oil has seen its price explode due to the conflict in Ukraine, the country being the world’s leading exporter of this product.
On the sea side, on the other hand, prices seem stable in recent months. This is the case for prawns (18.30 euros per kilo in May according to INSEE) or for oysters (9.50 euros per dozen in April). Note, however, the significant increase in meal prices. The kilo cost on average 32% more expensive in May 2022 than in May 2021, according to INSEE data.
More expensive beer, lower pastis
The sun is beating down and you just want to quench your thirst with a drink on the terrace. If you are ratherapps», you have to expect to pay more for your Coke. Cola drinks have indeed taken nearly ten euro cents in one year, between May 2021 and May 2022, according to INSEE (from 3.32 to 3.41 euros). For alcoholic beverages, the half of lager beer increased by 5% between May 2021 and May 2022 according to INSEE, to be displayed at 3.18 euros on average.
Recent data are lacking for rosé, which is particularly consumed in summer. For example, for rosé Provence wines, they date from 2021. These show that prices are on an upward slope: on average, a liter purchased in supermarkets cost 8.40 euros last year, against 4 45 euros in 2011, according to figures from the interprofessional committee of Provence wines (CIVP).
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In hot weather, water remains the number one ally. But it too suffers from inflation. In supermarkets, the water rose 4.7% in June over one year, according to data from the IRI panelist. “It’s all about rising packaging, energy and transportation costssays Emily Mayer, Business Insight Director at the firm. Conversely, aniseed aperitifs, pastis in the lead, saw their labels drop by 1.4%. And this despite the inflation of glass, notes Emily Mayer. But there is an explanation:Aniseed aperitifs are emblematic products, which are part of the marker categories for brands. Everyone wants to fight to be the cheapest.»
More affordable fruits and vegetables
Melon, watermelon, apricots, tomatoes, peaches… It’s the return of summer fruits and vegetables, bursting with sunshine. Good news for the wallet, “they are much cheaper than last summer“says Christel Teyssèdre, president of the Saveurs Commerce trade union federation, which represents traders specializing in fruit and vegetables. The more favorable weather this year is the reason. “Even if this year we had a little frost, it was much less strong than last year“, explains the first of the Lot.
However, by observing the data from FranceAgriMer, this general observation does not hold true for all summer fruits and vegetables. It is real for the kilo of apricots – it was worth an average of 4 euros in supermarkets and hypermarkets at the end of June, i.e. nearly 40 cents less than last year at the same time -, the kilo of cherries – 6 euros the kilo against 9 euros a year ago – or the melon – the yellow Charentais from 800 to 1150g was worth an average of 2.12 euros at the end of June, 60 cents less than last year. But not for tomatoes – 2.70 euros per kilo for small round tomatoes, against 2.40 last year – or for cucumbers – 1.18 euros per kilo against 1.09 a year ago.
In addition, last month, some consumers reported on social media melons for up to 7 euros each in supermarkets. The producers explained these tariffs by the drought and the war in Ukraine, which resulted in a surge in raw materials. Since the end of June, French and Spanish productions have entered into competition, lowering prices for consumers.
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Ideal to accompany tomatoes or cucumbers in a salad, fresh cheeses also suffer from inflation. On the shelves, feta saw its labels increase by 8% over one year on average according to the IRI, and mozzarella by 4%. To accompany it all, olive oil has taken 9.5% in one year. “It suffered a postponement in consumption, after shortages in the supply of sunflower oilobserves Emily Mayer.
And in the restaurant?
Holidays are often an opportunity to unwind over a good meal in a restaurant. Here too, summer visitors should expect to see the bill rise compared to previous summers. According to a survey by the GNI (National Group of Independents) and the firm Food Service Vision, dated last month, independent restaurateurs have on average applied an increase of 4.2% to their menu since February. “But impossible to say on which dishes it affects, it will depend on each establishment», Underlines Franck Trouet, spokesperson for the catering union.
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The rise in the prices of basic ingredients is at the origin of this inflation (+23.9% for mustard according to the GNI and Food Service Vision study, +28.2% for beef, +14 .6% for fries), as well as energy tariffs. Without forgetting the increase in remuneration which came into force in the spring after an agreement between employers and unions.