Tesco meal deal price rise: what the new costs mean and how rivals compare

Lunch just got pricier: Tesco lifts meal deal prices again

Tesco has pushed through another price rise on its popular meal deal, the second in a year, tightening the squeeze on lunchtime budgets. From 21 August 2025, the standard bundle of a main, snack and drink rises to £3.85 for Clubcard users (up from £3.60) and £4.25 for those without a Clubcard (up from £4). The premium version climbs by 50p across the board to £5.50 with a Clubcard and £6 without.

That means the gap between members and non-members stays sharp. Clubcard holders now pay 40p less than non-members for the standard deal and 50p less for the premium. The hikes come a year after August 2024’s increase, when the member price jumped from £3.40 to £3.60. If you buy lunch most weekdays, the extra 25–50p a day adds up fast.

Tesco says costs across the supply chain are still elevated and argues the deal remains strong value. The company points to the sheer range on offer — it says there are more than 20 million possible combinations, from classic sandwiches to trend-led options like Korean-style chicken rolls — and frames the bundle as a quick, reliable grab-and-go choice.

One thing won’t land well with teenagers heading back to school or college: under-18s still can’t access Clubcard pricing. That pushes them into the higher, non-member tier by default unless a parent buys the lunch for them. For families watching every pound, that small pricing barrier matters.

How the price stacks up against rivals — and why it keeps changing

Meal deal prices move a lot, and there’s now a clear split between Tesco and several competitors on the standard offer. A recent snapshot by consumer group Which? shows the landscape like this:

• Boots: £3.99 for standard, rising to £4.99 in London or airports
• Co-op: £3.50 for members, £4 for non-members
• Morrisons: £3.50 with membership, £4 without (standard); £5.50 for premium with membership
• Sainsbury’s: £3.50 for standard, £5 for premium
• Tesco: £3.85 with Clubcard, £4.25 without

On those figures, Tesco’s standard price is now higher than Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Co-op for members, though still cheaper than Boots outside transport hubs. Pricing can be a moving target, though. Sainsbury’s also lifted its meal deal earlier in the summer, with reports of some stores charging more than £3.50. Location and timing matter: city centres, travel sites and franchised stores often differ.

So why do costs keep creeping up when headline food inflation has cooled from last year’s peak? The short answer: many of the big inputs still cost more than they did pre-2022, even if the rate of increase has slowed. Ingredients like meat and dairy, energy to run chillers, packaging materials and logistics are all pricier than they were before the cost-of-living surge. Retailers also face higher wage bills after recent rises in the National Living Wage. Those pressures don’t disappear overnight, and lunch deals sit right in the crosshairs because they are high-volume and highly visible.

There’s also the loyalty twist. Supermarkets are leaning harder on member-only pricing to lock in repeat custom and deepen data insight. That creates a two-tier shelf: a headline price that looks steep and a discounted member price that feels like a win. The system works — until you can’t access it. Under-18s can’t sign up to Tesco’s Clubcard, so the base price is their only price. For students and younger workers, the result is a stealth surcharge compared with their older peers.

What about value inside the deal? It depends on what you pick. If your main is a higher-ticket salad or pasta pot and you grab a premium drink, the bundle can still undercut the price of buying those items separately by a couple of pounds. If you stick to a basic sandwich and water, the saving narrows. That’s the trick of any bundle: the more you maximise it with higher-value items, the better the effective discount.

The premium deal makes most sense when you want hot mains or larger salads that sit close to (or above) £4 on their own, plus a pricier drink. If your usual choices are low-cost items, the standard deal may beat the premium even after the recent rise.

For shoppers comparing across stores, a few lines of attack help:

• Check member schemes: Co-op Membership and Morrisons’ loyalty pricing can pull the standard deal back to £3.50. If you rotate where you buy lunch, those 35p savings versus Tesco’s Clubcard price mount quickly.
• Watch location surcharges: Boots often charges more in London and at airports. Supermarket convenience branches near stations can also be higher than large stores.
• Optimise the basket: choose a higher-value drink (smoothie, protein shake) and a premium main if you’re on the premium tier; avoid low-value picks that blunt the bundle.

There’s a simple alternative too: make it yourself. A rough back-of-the-envelope cost per lunch might look like this at current supermarket prices: two slices of bread (about 15–20p), fillings like chicken or ham (40–70p), salad (10–20p), a multipack bag of crisps (20–25p) and tap water or cordial from home (5–20p). That puts a DIY lunch in the £0.90–£1.50 range, depending on brands and portions — far below even the Clubcard price. It takes a bit of prep, but it’s a reliable way to save £2–£3 a day.

Of course, convenience matters. Not everyone has fridge space at work or time to prep, and part of the draw is choice: hot wraps one day, sushi the next. That’s where the Tesco meal deal still earns its keep — lots of variety with a predictable price, even if that price is now higher.

For Tesco, the risk is perception. Meal deals are a small line on a massive P&L, but they carry outsized brand weight. Shoppers remember lunchtime price moves, and they compare relentlessly. That helps explain why rivals often inch up together over the year, then jostle for a few months on member pricing or product mix rather than big headline changes.

Regulators are also watching how loyalty pricing is presented across the sector. They want clear unit pricing and fair comparisons so shoppers can see if a “deal” actually beats the standard shelf price. As more retailers gate discounts behind sign-ups, transparency becomes a bigger issue — especially for groups, like under-18s, who can’t join.

What to watch next? Autumn usually brings range refreshes and festive lines, which can nudge prices again. If wholesale costs keep easing, supermarkets will come under pressure to pass through savings. If energy or wage costs rise further, expect more tinkering at the edges — smaller portion sizes, rotation of pricier mains out of the bundle, or shorter promotional windows rather than another big headline jump.

If you stick with Tesco, the best play is simple: use the Clubcard if you can, aim for higher-value items in the bundle, and keep an eye on weekly swaps or limited specials. If you’re price-led, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Co-op are currently undercutting Tesco on the standard deal for members. And if you’ve got five minutes in the morning, a homemade sandwich might be the biggest lunchtime “deal” of all.