'Most expensive' supermarket still charging nearly 20% more than Sainsbury's, Aldi, Tesco and Lidl for key grocery essential

A supermarket called out for selling a basic grocery item for almost 20% more than its competitors has refused to drop the price.

Our shopping comparison, which has monitored the cost of the same eight essentials since March 2022, found that Asda is charging £2.65 for a 300g pack of chicken, compared with £2.25 at Tesco, Sainsbury's, Aldi and Lidl - that's an increase of 18%.

Only Morrisons is charging more than those four, working out at £2.41 per 300g, but that's still 24p cheaper than Asda.

Yet the retailer is staying firm with the price tag this week, and with an overall bill of £12.89 for the basket of shopping, it's once again cemented the retailer's position as the 'most expensive' - one its held for nine consecutive weeks now and one it's frequently found itself in since the comparison first began.

Read more: 'I'm a cost of living writer and tried loads of products to keep warm, this one tops the lot'

Last week it also increased the cost of butter to £2 a block, despite most other retailers selling theirs for £1.89. Lidl did the same, but has this week reduced its 250g block back down to £1.89.

At £12.02, Aldi remains cheapest of all for the basket, which, as well as chicken and butter, also includes bread, milk, tea bags, coffee, beans and mince.

Second cheapest is Morrisons, at £12.11, followed by Lidl, at £12.23. Sainsbury's is fourth cheapest at £12.40, followed by Tesco, at £12.43.

Despite working out as cheapest, Aldi has, for some time, disputed the findings of our comparison, saying that it doesn’t take into account like-for-like products or ‘the higher quality’ of its products.

For example, the supermarket says that its beans are 20g heavier than Sainsbury's and that Aldi tea bags are 'better quality