Tesco shoppers have been warned the ‘worst is yet to come’ with food prices amid the cost-of-living crisis affecting families across the UK.

The warning comes as Ofgem confirmed the energy price cap will rise by 54% in April.

But Tesco shoppers can also expect rising grocery bills when they get to the tills the supermarket’s chairman has warned.

John Allen, Tesco chairman, issued the warning when he spoke on the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme.

Tesco warns worst is yet to come

He said: "I predicted last autumn that food prices by the spring might be rising about 5%.

"I sincerely believe that it's not going to be any more than that, it might even be slightly less, but that's the sort of number we're talking about.

"But of course 5%, if you're spending - as some of the least well-off families are spending - 15% of your household income, is significant.

"It troubles us and I'm sure troubles many people that people may have to struggle to choose between heating their homes and feeding their families and that's clearly not a situation that any of us should tolerate."

Tesco working to protect those on lowest incomes

He added: "Food is a relatively small part of household spending, it's only about 9%, that figure has halved in the last half century.

"But of course, it's a bigger proportion for those on the lowest incomes. So I think we're concerned particularly about what can we do to try to protect those who are hardest up, who are going to suffer most from that?

"And in some ways, the worst is still to come because although food price inflation in Tesco over the last quarter was only 1%, we are impacted by rising energy prices; our suppliers are impacted by a rising energy prices.

"So the likelihood is that that inflation trigger will rise but we're doing all we can to offset it."