British consumers faced mounting pressure on their budgets last month as grocery price inflation ticked upward, according to data released on Tuesday.

Market research firm Kantar reported that annual grocery price inflation reached 2.6% in the four weeks leading up to December 1, rising from 2.3% in the previous four-week period.

The fastest price increases were seen in categories such as toothbrushes, chilled smoothies and juices, and fragrances, while prices fell most significantly for household paper products, dog food, and ambient savory meals, Kantar noted.

Among individual supermarkets, Tesco, the UK's largest grocery chain, recorded a 5.2% increase in sales during the 12 weeks to December 1, capturing a 28.1% market share — its highest since December 2017.

UK supermarkets have cautioned that recent tax hikes introduced in the Labour government’s first budget in October, along with another increase in the national minimum wage, are likely to drive further inflation.

Official figures released last month showed overall UK inflation surged to 2.3% in October. Data for November is scheduled for release on December 18.