SHOPPERS have seen their food bill rise at the fastest rate since 2008.

Food bills have risen by 11.6% – which works out at an annual increase of £533 for the average household.

It means families are forking out an additional £10.25 every week if they buy the same products as last year, according to research firm Kantar.

It has reported a 19.7% increase in the sale of own-label value products as shoppers looking to make savings.

It comes as the cost of everyday essentials such as food and fuel soar due to rising inflation.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said products like butter, milk and poultry have seen some of the biggest jumps.

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The average price of a 500g tub of Lurpak has risen by 33 per cent in the past year – with a kilo of spreadable now costing around £9.

Meanwhile, supermarkets have raised milk prices above the inflation level, with Sainsbury's the first to push up prices.

Two pints of milk from the retailer increased by 10% from £1.05 to £1.15 in early July.

A 1kg packet of chicken breast from Tesco has increased from £5.45 in January, to £6.08 today, according to Trolley.co.uk.

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Supermarket own value ranges have also increased in popularity over the past month, according to Kantar's data.

Asda's Just Essentials range, which launched this summer, is already in 33% of its customers baskets.

But the range was slammed for "embarrassing poorer customers" at the supermarket checkout.

Lidl is the fastest growing grocer, according to the data, with sales up by 17.9% over the last 12 weeks.

Rival German discount supermarket Aldi also performed strongly, reporting 14.4% growth.

This has been boosted by the popularity of its dairy goods and bakery lines, Kantar said.

It came as overall supermarket sales rose by 2.2% in the 12 weeks to August 7.

Experts said that consumers are now shopping around more and switching supermarkets in response to the cost-of-living crunch.

How can I find the best deals in the supermarket?

Get a loyalty card

Signing up for a supermarket loyalty card can often help you to get cheaper prices on essentials.

If you have a loyalty card, you may find you can get extra points or discounts, particularly if you buy petrol from the same supermarket.

The Sun recently compared the best supermarket loyalty cards in this handy guide.

Asda is the latest supermarket to promise shoppers extra perks, bringing it in line with Lidl, M&S, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco.

But it's worth comparing loyalty schemes – and remember you don't have to stay loyal, despite the name.

Known when to shop

Heading to the shops when products are marked down and bright yellow discount stickers are applied can save you serious dough.

If you shop in the evening, you are more likely to find goods that have been marked marked down.

But each branch of a supermarket will have their biggest discounts at slightly different times of day.

We put together a handy guide to what time supermarkets including Aldi, Asda, Tesco and Lidl reduce their prices.

Make a list

One of the most common mistakes shoppers make is going out underprepared.

Making a list will help to stay focused on getting the items that you really need, rather than being drawn into impulse purchases.

Another tip is to choose a smaller trolley – or a basket, if possible – to shop with.

A bigger trolley will look emptier even after you've finished trawling the aisles, and can encourage you to pick up more items.

Swap to own brand

Ditching items with labels like "finest" in favour of "own" or "value" can be worthwhile.

The Sun regularly tests supermarket own brand products to see if they can beat the big brands.

Lidl's own brand Freeway Cola costing 47p beat other supermarket's own brands to be crowned the best by The Sun.

While the budget supermarket's own brand orange juice was also found to be the best alternative to Tropicana.

The brand's Smooth Orange Juice costs £2.75 compared to Lidl's Simply Orange Juice, which is just 55p.

You can also try checking frozen alternatives to fresh fruit and vegetables, and looking on the lower shelves where customers are known to find better deals.

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Meanwhile, we found out from a supermarket expert how you can get your weekly shop cheaper in every aisle.

We also revealed the cheapest supermarket in the country – and it's not what you expect.

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