Wetherspoons hikes food prices by 13%

Wetherspoons delivers a major blow to punters wanting a cheap bite to eat as it hikes food prices by 13% – how much has YOUR favourite meal gone up by?

• Ham and Cheddar Cheese Panini up 13% to £5.53 from £4.90 in February 
• Chicken Breast Bites and Chicken Wings also up 13%, to £6.09 and £6.75 

Budget pub giant Wetherspoon has hiked food prices by a whopping 13 per cent or up to 76p per meal, it can be revealed.

The latest increases to the prices of meals such as paninis and chicken bites were noted after MailOnline visited the Wetherspoons at the Oxted Inn in Surrey. 

The cost-of-living blow comes days after pint prices at the chain’s airport outlets and certain city pubs were revealed to have rocketed to an eye-watering £7.

Deli deals such as a Wiltshire Cured Ham and Cheddar Cheese Panini will now set you back a hefty £5.53 compared with just £4.90 in February, a 13 per cent rise.

Wetherspoon price rises since February 

Wiltshire Cured Ham and Cheddar Cheese Panini

• Was: £4.90
• Now: £5.53
• Change: +13%

Chicken Breast Bites

• Was: £5.40
• Now: £6.09
• Change +13%

Chicken Wings (x10)

• Was: £5.99
• Now: £6.75
• Change: +13%

Ultimate Burger with alcoholic drink

• Was: £10.59
• Now: £11.11
• Change: +5%

All Day Brunch with alcoholic drink

• Was: £10.65
• Now: £11.11
• Change: +4%

Prices for small plates, such as Chicken Breast Bites and ten Chicken Wings have also increased by 13 per cent from £5.40 to £6.09 and £5.99 to £6.75 respectively.

Pub classics and burgers are also up by 5 per cent. An Ultimate Burger with alcoholic drink has risen from £10.59 to £11.11.

Meanwhile an All Day Brunch and Fish and Chips, both with an alcoholic drink, have also increased from £10.65 to £11.11.

A Chicken Tikka Masala with alcoholic drink will now set curry fans back £10.94 compared to £10.43 in February – a hike of 5 per cent.

Sweet treats have also been ramped up. A Warm Chocolate Fudge Cake with Ice Cream will set pudding lovers back £5.13 – up from £4.55 – another 13 per cent rise.

And American-style pancakes are up to £4.84 from £4.30 – a similar increase of 13 per cent.

The food hikes follow increases on alcohol that were revealed last week.

In Oxted, pint prices have risen by 3.6 per cent with Carlsberg jumping up from £2.57 to £2.66, Stella Artois from £3.60 to £3.73 and Leffe Blonde from £4.14 to £4.28.

Regulars should note pub prices are likely to vary across the country.

Recent reports have also found prices of Leffe Blonde have hit an astonishing £7.10 at some airport outlets including Edinburgh, Stanstead, Heathrow and Gatwick.

While in Leicester Square’s Moon Under The Water branch in London’s theatre district, a Leffe Blonde will now cost fans a similar £7.09 a pint.

Other drinks at the chain including Stella Artois, San Miguel and Corona are now creeping towards the £7 landmark at £6.45 a pint.

MailOnline visited Wetherspoons at the Oxted Inn branch in Surrey (file picture) 

Prices were previously ratcheted up by 7.5 per cent or 29p for a pint and 75p on food in February.

READ MORE Wetherspoons closes more pubs with dozens of boozers across UK  earmarked for closure

Martyn James, independent consumer champion, told MailOnline: ‘There’s no doubt about it – if Wetherspoons are hiking prices to this extent, the cost-of-living crisis is far from over.

‘But these are still whopping great increases and I doubt all can be blamed on rising costs, given the pub chain’s bulk buying power.

‘People go to Wetherspoons because it’s cheap. It remains to be seen if it will retain its customers now it’s the same price as everywhere else.’

Ruth Gregory, deputy chief UK economist at Capital Economics, said: ‘Food prices are still rising at a painful pace.

‘Indeed, although food inflation fell from 18.7 per cent per cent in May to 17.3 per cent in June, it is still running at double digit rates. 

‘Food is now making a greater contribution to overall inflation than energy.’

The latest inflation figures for July will be released by the Office for National Statistics tomorrow morning. 

MailOnline has contacted Wetherspoons for comment.

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