Lunchtimes just got more expensive as Tesco has announced the price of its meal deal will increase due to soaring costs.

The meal deal – which comprises a sandwich, a snack and a drink – had sat at £3 for the past 10 years.

Recently, the UK’s largest supermarket chain had increased the price of the meal to £3.50 for customers without Tesco’s Clubcard loyalty card.

The new price will see the meal deal cost £3.40 for Clubcard members and £3.90 for other customers.

More than 70pc of meal deals are purchased by customers with a Clubcard membership.

The increase comes days after official data from the Office for National Statistics showed that food and drink inflation jumped to 14.5pc last month – the highest since 1980.

The cost of food production has jumped in the face of the war in Ukraine, which has sparked higher grain, oil and energy prices, as well as weakness in the pound.

A Tesco spokesman said: “Clubcard members will pay just £3.40 for a main, snack and drink, making our meal deal an ideal way to grab a great value lunch on-the-go.

“And with savings of up to £3 on millions of possible combinations across our stores, including the recent addition of Costa hot drinks, and our ever-popular Christmas sandwiches which join the meal deal for the festive period, we’ve got something for every taste.”