Annual inflation for supermarket food and drink dropped to 3.1% in the three months to the end of May 2026 - but shoppers are still feeling the pinch07:14, 16 Jun 2026The supermarket items that are continuing to rise the fastest have been revealed in new Which? research.Fish prices rose fastest of all, jumping 9.7% year-on-year in May. This was followed by energy drinks, which rose 5.9%.Butters and spreads and chocolate were the only category to decline, with inflation falling by 0.8%.Overall, Which? found food price rises are beginning to cool. Annual inflation for supermarket food and drink dropped to 3.1% in the three months to the end of May 2026, down from 4.1% in February.This is significantly lower than its peak of 17% in the three months to the end of April 2023. On a monthly basis, food inflation fell to 2.4% in May.Which? looked at 20 popular categories of food and drink at Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.The latest figures show Waitrose had the highest levels of inflation, with prices up 3.8% on an annual basis in the month of May, while Aldi had the lowest at 0.8%.A spokesperson from Waitrose said: "Since this research we've invested more than 20 million in new lower prices across our range, which will significantly reduce the prices of many shopping basket staples, while upholding the quality and high-welfare standards that Waitrose is known for."Which? says its inflation tracker includes a list of 25,000 items and supermarkets do not have access to this full list.Meanwhile, households relying on own-label budget groceries face the highest range-based inflation at 4%. In contrast, branded groceries saw a more moderate rise 2.2%.Separate research from Worldpanel by Numerator found UK grocery inflation eased to 3.1% for the four weeks ending May 17, 2026, dropping from 3.8% in April.Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows food and non-alcoholic beverage prices rose by 3% in the 12 months to April 2026, down from 3.7% in the 12 months to March.Reena Sewraz, Which? Retail Editor, said: "Food price inflation may look like it's easing, but shoppers are still paying the price for years of rising grocery costs."Many households remain under pressure and with inflation due to rise again in the coming months, shoppers are looking for every opportunity to cut the cost of their weekly shop."Our research found a significant difference in inflation rates between supermarkets, from 3.8% at Waitrose to 0.8% at Aldi in May."In a separate analysis looking at absolute price rather than inflation, Aldi was also the cheapest supermarket overall, showing that shoppers who compare prices and shop around can make their money go further."Andrew Opie, Director of Food & Sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said: “Retailers are doing everything they can to offer great value to their customers, and UK has the most affordable grocery prices in Western Europe thanks to the fierce competition between supermarkets."The challenge facing retailers is a combination of higher energy and commodity costs resulting from the Middle East conflict, and the soaring cost of the government’s domestic policies.”Which food types have the highest inflation?List shows annual inflation for the month of May 2026.Fish - 9.7%Energy drinks - 5.9%Fizzy drinks - 3.9%Water - 3.4%Savoury pies, pastries and quiches - 3.4%Fresh fruit - 3.4%Chilled ready meals - 3.2%Vegetables - 3.1%Crisps - 2.8%Biscuits - 2.7%Milk - 2.5%Meat - 2.5%Cakes and cookies - 1.7%Bakery - 1.7%Cereals - 1.6%Yogurts - 1.1%Juice drinks and smoothies - 1%Cheese - 0.2%Chocolate - 0%Butters and spreads - -0.8%How to save money in the supermarketsHunt out yellow stickersSwap branded goods for supermarket-ownCompare prices before you shopWrite a list and stick to itFreeze leftoversJoin online discount groupsFind vouchers in free supermarket magazines