Dried Chives Priced Higher Than Silver by UK Supermarkets

Leading UK supermarkets are selling dried chives at prices exceeding that of silver, with some brands costing up to £2,000 per kilogram. This significant price difference has drawn criticism from consumer experts who point to 'expectation pricing' as a key factor.

A 1-gram jar of dried chives by the brand Schwartz is retailing for approximately £2 in major supermarkets like Morrisons, Tesco, and Asda. When calculated by weight, this amounts to about £2,000 per kilogram. Schwartz's own website lists the product at an even higher price of £2.15 for 1 gram, equating to approximately £2,150 per kilogram. This pricing means a recipe requiring three tablespoons of dried chives could cost around £18, given that each tablespoon holds about 3 grams of the herb.

In stark contrast, fresh chives are available for a considerably lower price. Supermarkets such as Asda, Morrisons, and Tesco sell packs of fresh chives weighing between 20 and 25 grams for around 60 pence, translating to a per-kilogram cost of £24 to £30. Supermarket own-brand dried chives are also available at a more modest price, around £300 per kilogram.

Consumer rights expert Martyn James described the pricing strategy as "expectation pricing," where brands leverage the expectation that shoppers will pay around £1 or £2 for a jar of herbs without scrutinizing the actual cost per kilogram. He noted that while manufacturers cite costs for packaging, cultivation, and transport, the disparity between production costs and retail prices can be shocking. "As we learn more about what our food actually costs to produce, people are going to become increasingly aware—and annoyed—about blatant overcharging," James stated.

Sue Hayward, a consumer and personal finance expert, advised shoppers to consider fresh herbs or supermarket own-brand dried alternatives to save money. She highlighted that a 18-gram pot of mixed dried herbs from Asda's Just Essentials range costs just 66 pence, representing only 0.3% of the per-kilogram cost of Schwartz's dried chives. Hayward acknowledged that while fresh herbs may be cheaper, they have a shorter shelf life, making dried varieties a long-term, albeit potentially more expensive, option.

This issue follows a previous report where a small jar of dried parsley from the same brand was found to cost £666.67 per kilogram. This price was significantly higher than common dried herbs purchased from UK wholesalers for around £7 per kilogram. The report also noted that a kilogram of fresh summer truffles, a luxury food item, cost £158, while a kilogram of dried chamomile flowers used in tea blends was priced at £237.50 per kilogram.