31 pounds a year ago to 1.37 pounds today - a rise of 4.5 percent, but could rise to as much as 1.58 pounds.

Ninety percent of British tea is consumed in the form of tea bags rather than leaf, and tea is a key item on the list of shoppers at supermarkets.

'We are starting to see the auction price going up, which means if you are (teamakers) Tetley or PG Tips you are paying more for your tea and that has already fed through to higher retail prices,' said Gorman.

'I suspect we will continue to see retail prices edging up a little bit,' he added.