A huge part of being a chef is keeping a close eye on food costs and understanding why certain ingredients can fluctuate in price.

But last weekend, after taking some time out of the country to source some lovely new wines for our restaurants, even I was shocked by a trip to the supermarket in my home town.

I was looking to stock our fridge up for the days ahead, and actually ended up stopping to ask a member of staff if there had been a sudden increase, or if I had just been living in a cave.

They said that I wasn't going mad, and that they had also noticed how much prices had gone up even since the beginning of April.

Stock image of supermarket produce (Image: Pixabay)

And that's for essential items like dairy products and bread, rather than luxury. Never mind things like gluten-free bread, which we have to buy for our son because of his dietary needs.

I'm very thankful to be in the position where I have business and can afford to pay myself a decent wage, but I don't know how the hell minimum, or even living wage, workers are supposed to afford their weekly shop.

I have to wonder who is benefiting from these increases. If it were the........

© Herald Scotland