Food price rises and gaps on supermarket shelves could last well into 2027 even if the US-Iran war ends soon, shoppers have been warned.
UK fruit and veg growers have warned that soaring energy costs mean higher prices and shortages of of goods such as tomatoes and peppers could start hitting home this spring.
Milk and potatoes prices are expected to increases sharply later this year, say supply chain experts, while meat, chicken, fizzy drink and beer prices could also soar.
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George Michael in 1985 during the Wham! years (Photo: Michael Putland/Getty)
music
Careless Whisper voted nation’s favourite
George Michael’s beloved 1984 hit has been ranked the number one track for the eighth year running.
His 1986 hit A Different Corner came in at number two.
I’m never gonna dance again
Careless Whisper came top of Smooth Radio’s All Time Top 500 list.
Michael’s first breakaway single from Wham!, he penned the lyrics when he was just 17-years-old.
Smooth Radio presenter Kate Garraway said: “It’s a fitting tribute to one of the greatest artists of all time.”
George Michael: Outed wil be broadcast on Channel 4 (Photo: Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty)
MUSIC
7 min read
Top of the pops
1Careless Whisper – George Michael
2A Different Corner – George Michael
3Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
4Man In The Mirror – Michael Jackson
5Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon and Garfunkel
19-year-old suspect appears in court over alleged bomb hoax
The Birmingham man was
accused of false communications which led a Peter Kay arena
show to be evacuated.
Caption: Handout photo taken with permission from the X social media site of Steve Aspinall of the Utilita Arena in Birmingham which was evacuated on Friday evening. The Peter Kay gig has been evacuated after a “potential suspicious bag” was found, police say.. Issue date: Friday May 1, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Steve Aspinall/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Photographer: Steve Aspinall
Provider: Steve Aspinall/PA Wire
Source: PA
Everything you need to know
Omar Majed, 19, appeared at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court today.
He had been arrested over an alleged bomb hoax at the Utilita Arena.
He did not give a plea to his only charge of communicating false information to police.
The case was sent to crown court, where Majed will appear on 1 June.
NEWS
2 min read
Go deeper on this topic
Comedian Peter Kay was ushered off stage mid-performance at the arena on Friday after a “suspicious bag” was reported. The show was cancelled and police later said “nothing suspicious was found” during searches.
The show was part of Kay’s ‘Better Late Than Never’ national tour, which will see all proceeds donated to 12 cancer charities.
Majed was disruptive throughout the hearing, eventually taken down to the cells after he shouted that proposed bail conditions were “not acceptable”.
Peter Kay on stage at The Brit Awards in 2010 (Photo: Getty Images)
Ditch Strictly and
slash licence fee – radical plan for BBC cuts
The plans would see the BBC forced to ditch popular shows
like The Traitors and Strictly Come Dancing.
Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly’s farewell on the BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special gave the BBC a festive viewing boost (BBC Studios)
What you need to know
GB News has submitted a plan for overhauling the national broadcaster.
The proposal would force the BBC to limit itself to areas commercial competitors are struggling to fund such as educational programming.
The £180-a-year TV licence would be drastically cut and only paid by households which use the BBC.
Criminal sanctions for non-payment would be abolished.
Analysis
4 min read
Why is this significant?
This comes as the Government consults on a new BBC Charter, which will set out the funding and governance of the corporation for the next decade.
Some of the proposals are markedly similar to those advocated by its star presenter, Nigel Farage. Any similarities between the GB News plan and Reform’s policies are entirely coincidental, the channel said.
Analysis
4 min read
A ‘blueprint’ for Reform
It’s a 30-page blueprint for a reduced BBC. Reform could use it as an off-the-shelf prescription if it won power. But the Tories could too if they were really being radical.”
an anonymous gb news insider
GB News is launching a national talk radio station (Photo: GB News)
Caption: MOSCOW, RUSSIA – APRIL 28: Russian President Vladimir Putin holds an umbrella while visiting the Federal Center For Disaster Medicine, on April 28, 2026 in Moscow, Russia. On the Day of the Emergency Medical Worker, Putin visited the Federal Disaster Medicine Center of the National Medical and Surgical Center named after N.I.Pirogov and took part in the opening ceremony of new emergency departments in the regions via video link. (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images)
Photographer: Contributor#8523328
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images Europe
Copyright: 2026 Contributor#8523328
WORLD NEWS
Public mood plummets in Putin’s Russia
After years of war fatigue and sky-high inflation, for beleaguered Russians, a recent internet crackdown was the last straw.
What you need to know
The Kremlin recently cracked down on internet usage and messaging apps.
Mobile internet is regularly shut down across the country, allegedly to combat Ukrainian drone attacks.
Across society, criticism of internet restrictions is growing.
One state-owned pollster found Putin’s approval ratings had fallen to 65.6 per cent, their lowest level since the start of the war.
Analysis
5 min read
Public opinion tanks
App crackdown
There have been restrictions on popular messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram.
Caption: MOSCOW, RUSSIA – MARCH 31: A woman attempts to access the internet using her smartphone while walking near the Kremlin, on March 31, 2026 in Moscow, Russia. Russian authorities announced a complete block on the Telegram messaging app and the introduction of a fee for accessing international mobile internet traffic, while Apple blocked the download of VPN apps to bypass restrictions in the country. (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images)
Photographer: Contributor#8523328
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images Europe
Copyright: 2026 Contributor#8523328
Caption: FILE – A woman checks her phone as she walks through Red Square at sunset, in Moscow, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov, File)
Photographer: Pavel Bednyakov
Provider: AP
Source: AP
Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Maxed out
Instead, there has been a drive to create a government-backed alternative messaging app called Max.
PR problem
Last month, criticism by Russian influencer Victoria Bonya over internet restrictions went viral.
Caption: FILE – Victoria Bonya poses for photographers upon arrival at the amfAR gala at the Arsenale di Venezia, in Venice, Italy, on Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP, File)
Photographer: Scott A Garfitt
Provider: Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP
Source: Invision
Will this impact Putin?
The internet disruption is the kind of mistake which can create a bigger internal effect, more than Ukraine or rising prices, because it’s something which affects everybody irrespective of social class or income.
Dr Anna Matveeva, visiting senior research fellow at King’s College London’s Russia Institute.
Caption: Women hold their cellphones in Red Square, in Moscow, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
Photographer: Alexander Zemlianichenko
Provider: AP
Source: AP
Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press
FASHION
What to expect from this year’s Met Gala
Caption: FILE – Zendaya Coleman attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala in New York on May 6, 2024. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
Photographer: Evan Agostini
Provider: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
Source: Invision
Copyright: 2024 Invision
The legendary fundraising ball at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art takes place tonight.
Here’s your ultimate guide to the biggest date in the fashion calendar.
What to expect
The Met Gala takes place every year on the first Monday in May.
Each year’s ball has a different theme based on the costume institute’s spring exhibition.
This year, the theme is Fashion is Art, based on the museum’s current Costume Art exhibition.
Guests begin to arrive on the red carpet from 11pm UK time.
You can watch the Vogue livestream from the red carpet across their digital platforms, YouTube and TikTok.
The BBC will also run a live page updating as celebrities arrive.
Stars turn out for fashion’s biggest night
This year’s Fashion is Art theme is as broad as ever, allowing for differing interpretations and scathing reviews of celebrities’ sartorial choices.
The chairs of the 2026 gala are Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour.
Caption: Fashion designs are displayed next to statues in the “Classical Body” section of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute exhibition, “Costume Art,” on May 2, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Photographer: Charles Sykes
Provider: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
Source: Invision
FILM
3 min read
Setbacks ahead of the big event
The event has already drawn some criticism, with billionaire Jeff Bezos and wife Lauren Sanchez Bezos appointed as co-chairs and sponsors of the event. This led to calls for a boycott of the benefit.
Caption: Cast member Zendaya attends a premiere for the television series “Euphoria” in Los Angeles, California, U.S., April 7, 2026. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Photographer: Mario Anzuoni
Provider: REUTERS
Source: REUTERS
Caption: Activists project protest messages highlighting issues of wealth inequality, climate accountability, and labor rights, onto the Empire State Building on the eve of the Met Gala, the star-studded fundraiser known for its extravagant fashion and high profile guests, in New York City, U.S., May 3, 2026. REUTERS/David ‘Dee’ Delgado
Photographer: David Dee Delgado
Provider: REUTERS
Source: REUTERS
Actress Zendaya and her bold looks styled by Law Roach have become a key fixture of the event. But on Friday, Elle confirmed she would not be attending this year in another blow.
Experts also warned of smaller portions – so-called “shrinkflation” – when it comes to treats like chocolate, biscuits and fish and chips, as producers look to cut rising costs.
Darren Jones, No 10’s chief secretary, warned last week that “long tail” impact of the Iran conflict could last up to eight months after any deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
But food producers and experts told The i Paper that the negative effects may last even longer – predicting that higher prices and possible shortages could run deep into 2027.
Why some price hikes are still months away
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has warned of 9 per cent UK food inflation by the end of 2026. It would add £470 to average annual shopping bills, according to recent analysis.
Britain’s fruit and veg growers reliant on glasshouses have been hit by both higher fertiliser prices and soaring energy prices.
Some may have to decide to cut short their season soon to minimise losses – sparking warnings of price rises and possible gaps on the shelves for tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers from May.
Gaps may soon start appearing on fruit and veg shelves, growers have warned (Richard Baker/Getty)
The National Farmers Union (NFU) has warned the price of milk and products from arable crops – like bread, potatoes and cereals – could start increasing in the next three to six months because of higher fertiliser and red diesel prices.
NFU president Tom Bradshaw said farmers were “understandably worried” about getting enough red diesel and fertiliser for their combine harvesters and to boost crop growth over the summer.
Red diesel, a cheaper fuel for farmers to use in agricultural vehicles was 76p per litre last year, latest figures put it at 104p.
Shipments of fertilisers have largely stopped since the war with costs across the board up on pre-war prices. Yara International, one of the world’s biggest fertiliser producers, has warned a lack of fertiliser could drop yields by up to 50 per cent.
“Focus is also rapidly turning to longer-term impacts from the autumn onwards,” Bradshaw told The i Paper. He said farmers would have to make “critical decisions” are made about how much to plant for next year.
Soaring shopping bill set to continue in 2027
Scott Walker, chief executive GB Potatoes, warned this week that the “inevitable” price rises for his own industry may not happen until next year. He told Sky News that farmers’ 2027 contracts with supermarkets would have to reflect a doubling of red diesel and some fertiliser prices.
Professor Aled Jones, director of the Global Sustainability Institute at Anglia Ruskin University, said the problems facing farmers meant the price hikes would continue in 2027.
“For farmers, some of the impacts from red diesel and fertiliser costs will have a longer tail, so the impact on prices on the things like bread, cereals, potatoes may not come until autumn, [and continue] into next year,” he told The i Paper.
Farmers may not see problems hit home until later in the year – pushing up prices in 2027 (Photo: Monty Rakusen/Getty)
Dr Derek Watson, an associate professor in cultural management at the University of Sunderland, said the difficulties faced by farmers meant “we will see reduced yields this year – but next year it could be worse”.
He told The i Paper: “What’s happened already [with the Iran crisis] is going to have reverberations in the medium to long term. Mostly definitely food price increase will continue well into 2027.”
Why CO2 shortages would make things even worse
Supply of carbon dioxide (CO2) could be disrupted should the Iran conflict last into the summer, under the Government’s “reasonable worst-case scenario” leaked last month.
CO2 is required for the slaughtering of pigs and chickens, and in the production of beer and fizzy drinks. It is also needed for the plastic packaging needed to prolong the shelf life of baked goods and salads.
Jones said extra cost of getting CO2 “could feed into meats, chicken, beer and fizzy drinks getting more expensive”.
There could even be shortages of some red meat and chicken products. Dr Watson said major CO2 disruption “could mean less meat and poultry products in the worst-case scenario”.
Why fish portions are suffering from ‘shrinkflation’
Dr Watson warned that that some manufacturers and outlets could turn to “shrinkflation” – smaller portions or cheaper ingredients – to deal with rising cost pressures.
“With chocolate bars and biscuits, you could see further shrinkflation,” he said.
Some chocolate manufacturers have previously cut the amount of cocoa content and added cheaper ingredients such as fruit and fillings when their own costs have increased.
Portion sizes could be cut at fish and chip shops (Photo: Getty)
Andrew Crook, president of National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF), told The i Paper that some fish and chip shops that used to sell large portions of fish “will have had to cut down”.
He said fish and chip prices would rise this year because of multiple cost pressures: energy bills, delivery, packaging and “cod prices being at an all-time high”.
There was the risk of further closures in the sector, Crook warned – though he said fish and chip shops appreciate that “we are still being supported by our customers” since the Iran war began.
Yara International warned last week that the Iran war could lead to the “dramatic consequence” of food shortages in some of Africa’s poorest communities.
The FDF has said British shoppers should not be concerned about shortages at the moment since manufacturers remained “agile”. But the body has warned that Iran-related disruption will push up prices.
Ministers have said CO2 supplies are not currently a concern. The Government has helped restart a bioethanol plant in Teesside so Britain produce more CO2 of its own.
While the Government has attempted to calm fears, Sir Keir Starmer has warned that even when the Strait of Hormuz reopens, it will not be a return to normal.
A Government spokesperson said it was taking the effects of the Iran war “very seriously” and is “actively monitoring the potential impact of the conflict on the food and farming sector”.
They added: “The UK has a resilient food system and we do not expect any change to food availability. We are continuing to meet with stakeholders including farmer’s unions to share information on rising fuel and oil prices.”