Adding some fizz to inflation figures

Britons are spending more money on these products, enough that they can be used by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to measure inflation.

Corned beef and cycle helmets have been ejected from the basket.

The ONS changes its 650-strong basket of goods and services once a year to include more up-to-date items.

New items are added to the basket to represent increased areas of spending.

Evolving tastes

Though fizzy drinks are in, diet aid drinks are out and Brits are also splashing out more money on champagne.

SHOPPING BASKET IN Frozen chicken nuggets Wooden patio set Frying pan Laptop computers Small pets Cinema popcorn ATM charges Champagne Gardeners' fees Home delivery charges OUT Baguettes Corned beef Diet aid drink Plastic patio set Smoke alarm Upholstered settee Single serve cat food Gold bangles Disposable razors

Britons also have a more discerning taste when it comes to gardening.

Gardeners' fees have entered the basket and wooden patio sets have usurped plastic versions, the ONS said.

Two high tech entries are mobile handsets and laptop computers, which join the list for the first time.

The annual review considers not only the basket of representative goods but also where they were bought. To reflect this, internet purchases of DVDs and vending-machine sales of cigarettes have been added.