Tesco raises price of meal deal by 25p

The UK’s biggest supermarket, Tesco, has increased the price of its lunchtime meal deal by 25p.

The chain said its meal deal has risen from £3.60 to £3.85 for Clubcard members, and from £4 to £4.25 for shoppers without a loyalty card.

Some 80% of Tesco’s customers use Clubcard when buying a lunchtime meal deal, the supermarket said.

The loyalty scheme offers discounted prices on selected items and the opportunity for customers to earn points on their shopping.

Most major supermarkets have their own version of a loyalty card, in a bid to retain customers at a time of fierce competition in the sector.

Tesco’s “premium” meal deal has also risen from £5 to £5.50 for those with a Clubcard, and from £5.50 to £6 for those without.

A spokeswoman for Tesco said its meal deal, which contains a main, snack and drink, “remains great value” and was an “ideal way to grab lunch on the go”.

The most popular items are the chicken club sandwich for main, the egg protein pot as the snack, and a bottle of Coca-Cola.

There are thought to be more than 20 million possible combinations of Tesco’s meal deal.

The price hike has come on the same day that Tesco signed a letter warning the Chancellor that food inflation was expected to reach 6% later this year.

The letter, sent by the British Retail Consortium and signed by more than 60 retail bosses, said it was “becoming more and more challenging” for firms to “absorb the cost pressures we face”.

The prices of certain items like coffee, tea, milk, eggs, chocolate and soft drinks have surged recently.