The great dried herb rip-off

By the Editorial Team · Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Jars of dried chives sold by major UK supermarkets are priced at around £2,000 per kilogram, surpassing the cost of silver and raising concerns over pricing strategies in the food retail industry. Consumer experts warn that these inflated prices stem from packaging and marketing practices that obscure the low production costs, potentially fueling growing dissatisfaction among shoppers.

The rising cost of groceries has become a significant concern for many consumers, with certain dried herbs drawing particular scrutiny for their unexpectedly high prices. Notably, dried chives sold by major supermarket chains have been found to cost more per kilogram than silver, prompting questions about pricing practices in the food retail sector.

Jars of dried chives branded by Schwartz are reportedly being sold at around £2 per gram, translating to a price of approximately £2,000 per kilogram. By comparison, silver was valued at about £1,410 per kilogram, according to recent market rates. At leading retailers including Tesco, Morrisons, and Asda, the 1-gram jars are commonly priced at £2, while the Schwartz website lists the product even higher at £2.15 per gram (£2,150 per kilogram). Despite this premium price, the manufacturer encourages consumers to use the herb liberally in cooking.

In contrast, fresh chives are available at the same supermarkets for considerably lower prices, ranging from £24 to £30 per kilogram. Fresh packets weighing 20 to 25 grams consistently retail for around 60p. Moreover, supermarket own-brand dried chives are priced more moderately, at approximately £300 per kilogram.

Consumer experts explain that this pricing disparity reflects a strategy known as "expectation pricing," where retailers and manufacturers rely on shoppers’ acceptance of paying £1 or £2 per jar without realizing the high per-kilogram cost underpinning that price point. Martyn James, a consumer rights specialist, commented that once packaging and other production factors are set aside, the actual cost of raw ingredients reveals wide gaps between retail price and production expenses. He suggested that as consumer awareness of food production costs increases, discontent with such pricing practices is likely to grow.

This issue follows earlier reports highlighting similar pricing anomalies, including jars of Schwartz dried parsley sold at Tesco for £666 per kilogram—five times the price of a luxury tin of pink salmon caviar priced at £129 per kilogram.

Requests for comment were made to Schwartz, Tesco, Morrisons, and Asda regarding these pricing concerns but no statements were provided at the time of reporting.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.