Tesco has raised the price of its lunchtime meal deal for the third time since 2022, and some customers say the "deal" isn't living up to its name.
From this week, the popular offer of a sandwich, snack and drink is £3.85 with a Clubcard or £4.25 without. The premium option, which includes hot food and branded items such as Yo! Sushi has climbed to £5.50 with a Clubcard and £6 for non-members.
It's been a steady climb since 2022 when a Clubcard meal deal was £3. By 2023, it had reached £3.40, and last year it increased to £3.60. The latest rise represents a 28.33% increase over the past three years, while the cumulative effect of inflation since 2022 has been 21.98%.
The change comes while food inflation remains stubbornly high. Prices for basics like meat, coffee, and juice are still around 5% higher in July than they were a year earlier. Rival Sainsbury's upped its deal to £3.95 earlier this year as a result.
Not all shoppers are taking it in stride, and it's understandable given the cost of a British staple is rising faster than inflation.
One shopper posted on X (formerly Twitter): "Discovering that a Tesco meal deal will be £3.85 with a Clubcard from Thursday was truly devastating." While another questioned if it was even a deal anymore.
Retailers argue they're under pressure too. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned that new business taxes or packaging rules could push food inflation up to 6% this year, making it harder to keep popular offers affordable.
For now, the math technically still works: buying the same items separately can cost nearly £8. But after three hikes in three years, many shoppers scrolling through social media are asking the same question: Is it still a deal worth grabbing, or is it time to start looking elsewhere for a better deal?
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