Cost of cooking oil & oil related products

[Echo40]

I assumed when Ukraine War started cost of oil would rise .
So I brought 6 bottles sunflower at £1.09 and 6 olive oil.
Also intend to buy a air fryer next month.
Some retailers in UK have limited how much oil can buy.

Been reading other parts Europe all limited on oil but also items that contain oil like condiments.
Lilds own brand ketchup has been out of stock for 4months now ticket still on shelf they only have heinz.
Been reading its impacting on availability / price of mustard and mayo .

www.theguardian.com/business/2022/apr/22/tesco-to-ration-cooking-oil-purchases-as-war-in-ukraine-hits-food-prices

Went into Aldi today huge rises in sunflower and vegetable oil .
I don't think much can leave Ukraine and guess this current harvest be heavily affected.
Think they managed get 1 boat wheat out today but not sure about oil.
Maybe this price hike is a type of ratio as less stock from last year left.

£1.99 1 litre sunflower oil was £1.65 2 weeks ago.

£1.75 veg oil 1 litre was £1.55 few weeks ago before that was £1.30 and when war started £1.09.

Most people think just oil but its massively impacted on cost crisps, frozen items like oven chips or breaded fish/ chicken.

Aldi used to oven chips for around 99p they now £1.39 and £1.49.

Theres also now greater demand palm oil which could push up prices of items that contain palm oil like Nutella.
Aldi choc spread gone from 99p to £1.25 is this weeks price rise.

www.theguardian.com/business/2022/mar/28/iceland-reverts-to-palm-oil-with-regret-as-ukraine-war-hits-food-prices

Does anyone else thinks prices could increase further?
Also cause availability issues on associated oil products?
The local chip shops just increased prices.

We don't get much wheat from Ukraine although pasta has risen but that's due to poor harvests durum wheat in Italy.

I think I'm going bulk buy couple more oils and condiments but think will face increase on frozen and crisps over the next 6months
Wonder how much higher will go.

Its just so depressing every week huge rises aldi and lilds seem worst for it.

No don't stockpile it. Its like the loo roll all over again

Have to say, I'm more interested to know if you're likely to use the oils you've stockpiled before use by date.

Ketchup doesn't contain oil

Yes we a family of 6 i cook from scratch a lot and depending what I cook use sunflower or olive oil so got just 6 one litre bottles of each.
I doubt I would use a whole bottle per month just needed a ball park figure.

All the oils brought are dated end of 2023.
If I have any spare near date I can donate to food bank.

I'm baffled why lilds short in ketchup then.

I assumed some condiments going up or short because they need oil.

I am not stockpiling loo roll or panic buying.
Just trying 2nd guess what might increase or go short and buy a little extra.

These big price increases on basic essentials seem unsustainable for those on low or fixed incomes.
Milk, eggs , dairy butter and cheese and coffee all seen steep rises

I think I use one bottle of veg oil a year! My oven chips are Maris piper cut into chip shape with salt shaken over and I don’t bother with oil for roasting most things.
Making curry and frying the spices is probably what uses it up the most but 6 bottles! that would last me forever and I only cook from scratch. I have a bottle of olive oil as well and that would also last a year…

OP I hear what you’re saying. It must be concerning with 6 to cater for. It might mean shopping around a bit. In our Aldi they only had Heinz ketchup for £3.45 - bugger that I thought I ain’t paying. Went to Tesco and got a Tesco own brand for £1.00 and something. My fussy son was told - that’s what you’re getting now!

I agree that it’s worrying how quickly prices are rising but all you can do is adapt (and consume less). for everyone I mean - myself included.

Thanks you maybe I have over estimated but 12 x 1 litre bottles don't seem excessive I keep one bottle each oil next to hob I use oil roasting or frying on hob.
I also use oil in some baking / cake mixes as cheaper than butter.
If I weent costco a bottle would be 5 or 6litres.

This is just 1 item I highlight because there seems to be issues affecting supply which is pushing up price not just Ukraine poor weather, increase in fertiliser costs has affected harvests.

www.theguardian.com/business/2022/aug/02/spain-heatwave-olive-oil-production-italy-grain-ukraine-war-prices?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Every family will be different size and different items will be more important to them.

I would say with 4 kids we get through 4pints of milk per day and thats constantly rising.
We get through 1 block cheddar a week.
Cheddar has gone up 50p in aldi and lidls.
Butter increased we probably use 2 butter a month especially term time when doing 12 packed lunches a week.
Teenagers love noodles thats quick summer holiday snack they can prepare themselves.
Ketchup all 4 kids love Ketchup and depending on meal plan could use 2 bottles per month.
Bread we get through loads I try but reduced and freeze things like loaves, wraps, crumpets and bagels thats helped.
I try keep squash well stocked and cereal as we get through loads.
Have cut back on crisps, chocolate and other treats .

I do buy boring biscuits so Custard creams, Bourbons and digestives.
Stuff they wouldn't eat all at once but would eat if hungry.
I try keep 2 different fruits in the bowl and backups frozen/ dried and tin fruit so if we were really struggling one month we would have fruit.

We use aldi nuttoka instead of Nutella used be 99p now £1.25.
we drink aldi/ lilds gold coffee thats gone up 50p..
We like aldi oven chips and pizzas but they gone up 50p.

Its tiring doing several different shops per month but it saves us money.
Lidls and aldi used to be a lot cheaper but the gap is narrowing to the point tesco and morrisions is cheaper on some items.
I'm trying to shop smart get best price and have a bit of a buffer pantry as income is variable.

I feel for families on lower of fixed income as its essential every day items.
Value items
Hige price rise in the discounters we used to rely on.
So much of value or own brand seems out of stock and only more expensive brands left on shelf.
Its easier I think when in aldi buy 3 bottles ketchup 1 for now 1 for when that runs out and 3rd for if was delayed going to shop or was supply issues like lidls.

As a large family the sheer volume of items we get through and need im talking basic essentials not loads of treats.

I am not a crazy hoarder I don't clean out shops or have pallets of loo roll.
But after my experience in 2020 and I also worked in a supermarket in 2020 the restrictions on how much could buy and so much out of stock was really annoying .
In my store eggs and flour would later like 1 hour before selling out.
I remember being in lidls and watching people panic buy.
I sensed covid was bigger issue before we locked down and shelves were cleared and got a few of the basics to see us through but it was so stressful.
I don't want to be in position like that again.

Not the point of the thread, but how are you going through that much oil? We get 1/2 bottles a year.

Off topic, but Asda has nice own ketchup.

I've never gone through 12 litres of oil in 6 weeks I also cook from scratch mostly and I dry fry. I use rapeseed oil not sunflower so maybe you could switch or shop around, Aldi isn't always the cheapest. Also other own brand sauces are fine.

Vegetable oil is rapeseed oil - it's on the label. But obviously not the fancy cold pressed variety.
Vegetable oil is usually marginally cheaper than sunflower oil by a few pennies.
I've been following the price if vegetable oil because I di use it in cooking and yes this morning at Lidl I couldn't believe it went up in price again.
Their flat folded seeded bread is now 75p it used to be 50p until very recently.

The biggest shock has been buying food for my dogs this morning. Up by exactly 20% from exactly a month ago. I understand all dog food has gone up in price at a similar rate but I wouldn't know how to check.

I appreciate a lot, a lot of food items are impacted by reduced oil availability which pushes prices up.
I appreciate energy and fuel prices have gone up hugely.

But all in all, am I covering a 20% costs increase as a consumer? Is it truly a 20% cost increase for manufacturing distribution and retail point? Really? I suspect not for all products.

I do accept without questions that oil has to be more expensive, do we need to question these things a bit more? I don't know. For the time being I'm just accepting and pay what they ask left right and centre.

Where you getting 12 litres in 6weeks from?
I estimated i mayhe at most get through 1 litres a month a mix of olive or sunflower depending what I'm cooking.
So 12 litres over 12months a year.

I use sunflower oil for baking too, as it's much cheaper than butter. Usually 125ml oil per cake, so a 1L bottle will make 8 cakes ... and at times I make 2 cakes per week ... so 1L a month ...

I assume you mean large cakes not fairy cakes.
I often buy my kids cake mixes when on offer as its a activity and snack abd it's cheaper use oil than butter using 4 oz butter per 12 fairy cakes plus maybe butter for icing really uses up butter fast.

Noticed yesterday in b&m when trying to get my dog the brand dog food he loves its cheaper there that even in b&m veg and sunflower oil 1 litre is £1.99.
No idea if this price just sainsbury local or if larger skins stores same price as needed milk its £2.20per bottle in sainsbury for sunflower

I think it could reach £3 by xmas which means its surpasses olive.

A 5litre bottle morrisions is around £8.50. But I prefer smaller bottles as fit better in cupboard and stay fresher.

I have read some grain has left Ukraine but no mention of oil mayhe its not quite harvested yet as our sunflowers in garden still good.
We depend on uk a lot for oil but less so on wheat in the UK.

Yes, per large cake not per fairy cake 😂

Your family is consuming a lot of seed oil, seed oils are highly processed making them cheap, they are in all processed foods (again making the cheap) and the increased consumption of them over the last 50+ years is linked to increasing levels of obesity, diabetes, dementia it’s really not healthy.

Get an airfryer, less oil, less cost of heating up the oven and better for you.

Asda Extra Special rapeseed oil has stayed the same price of £2 all these months since the Ukraine crisis began.

I expect there will now be a serious national shortage after mumsnetters read this! Ds prefers his bacon cooked in the frying pan over the gas hob not in the air fryer....

We rarely use olive oil as at my age weight gain is a constant issue.

Seeds oils are so bad for your health. Look up Hateful Eight Seed Oils and Dr. Cate Shanahan’s work.

Omg I did not know this.