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Supermarket meal deals are a much-loved lunchtime option, with a main such as a sandwich, a snack like a packet of crisps, and a bottle or can of drink, all for a set price. 

Back in 2021, most meal deals cost £3, but over the last few years the prices have been slowly rising thanks to inflation.

Just last month, Sainsbury’s offering went up by 25p, and now, Tesco is the latest supermarket to start charging customers more.

From Thursday August 22, the price of a standard meal deal at the nation’s biggest supermarket will rise from £3.40 to £3.60 for those with a Clubcard.

For those without one, you’ll now pay a whopping £4, up from £3.90, a price increase of 10p.

A number of shoppers are stunned by the change, claiming to be ‘fuming’.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Olivia Devereux-Evans wrote: ‘You mean to tell me that I have to pay £4 for a Tesco meal deal now? I’m fuming, bring back £3 meal deals.’

@hfltdoeshistory also took the news pretty hard: ‘Just heard about the Tesco meal deal price rise, please give me time to process and grieve.’

@cryingson added: ‘There’s only so long people will put up with this sh*t. Meal deals are now £3.60 and Tesco thinks we’ll just wander in there like sheep accepting it.’

While the Twitter page for Warwick University’s Lib Dem Society wrote: ‘Labour government are doing good? Tell me why my Tesco meal deal is now £3.60.’

It’s not all bad news though. Tesco say that, along with the price, the quality of the food has also gone up.

A spokesperson said: ‘Clubcard members will pay just £3.60 for a main, snack, and drink, meaning our meal deal remains great value and the ideal way to grab lunch on the go. 

‘With millions of possible combinations across our stores, our recent improvements to ingredients and more than 20 new mains introduced this summer, the Tesco meal deal has got something for every taste.’

The chain is also not hiking the price of their premium meal deal, which will remain at £5 for those with a Clubcard, and £5.50 for those without one.

This is the first time the price of the standard meal deal has changed since October 2022, when it increased by 40p, from £3 to £3.40 for Clubcard holders, and £3.50 to £3.90 for those without.

The news comes as another major supermarket is making a change to the way its customers shop.

Morrisons is planning to remove a number of self-checkouts after boss, Rami Baitiéh admitted they ‘went a bit too far’ with the technology.

According to the chief executive, the business has been reviewing the balance between self-checkouts and manned tills and has realised too many of the former have been installed.

This has led to some disapproval from customers and also a rise in shoplifting, Rami claims.

Asda has also been working towards putting more manned checkouts back into its stores.

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