Premium ready meals rise in popularity

The reputation of ready meals for being poor quality, mass-produced and pretty dire for our health is waning – most certainly in the fine food sector, where there are plenty of options available for discerning retailers wanting to offer their customers time-saving meal solutions that don’t compromise on their desire for better.

“The ready meal landscape is undergoing a fundamental shift. Ready meals and convenience no longer mean a compromise in quality, flavour or ingredients,” explains David Milner, chief executive at Crosta Mollica. “Premium brands – like Crosta Mollica – are growing and creating this ‘third space’ which sits between retail and takeaway. There is clear consumer demand for more premium yet convenient options. The pizza category, for example, is relatively stagnant in terms of growth; however, premium pizza is seeing double digit growth. Our own figures show retail sales increased by £21.3 million in the past 12 months, proving that consumers are responding enthusiastically to more premium options.”

What’s driving this transformation?

“Economic pressures are influencing consumer behaviour, but rather than trading down to cheaper alternatives, people are instead looking at how they can recreate restaurant dining experiences at home by trading up in retail for ‘treat’ moments. This creates a new opportunity for ready meal brands, that can deliver genuine quality, to bridge the gap between premium supermarket offerings and dining out.”
Indeed, according to Mintel data, 56% of consumers are dining out less and 50% are ordering fewer takeaways – demonstrating that though the desire for indulgent meals is still strong, the pinch people are feeling around their budgets is potentially stronger… Enter the new generation of premium ready meals.

Restaurant quality, at home

“The term ‘ready meals’ covers such a wide variety of ready to serve dishes, and for a long time has been associated with mass produced, ultra processed food for people who don’t really care about flavour or ingredients and just need a meal that is quick and easy to prepare,” agrees Jackie Phillips, director of C&M Meals, home of Bistro Chef. “Under this guise it has become a staple of the FMCG offering, mainly in the chilled category with a race to the bottom on price. But delve a bit deeper and there are plenty of smaller producers with products that are the complete opposite. Convenience and quality can and do go together. The advantages of a quality ready meal are very relevant in today’s food climate, and not all ready meals are the same!” 

The sloppy and salt-heavy ready meals of yore are being replaced – in discerning circles, at least – by premium quality meals freshly prepared by professional chefs. For example, Clay’s Kitchen & Bar, a Reading destination for lovers of excellent Indian cuisine, has recently launched its Clays At Home menu – a varied selection of delicious meals that are prepared on-site and shipped chilled so that customers from elsewhere in the country can experience their chefs’ skills in the comfort of their own home.

Likewise, the Bistro Chef range is the restaurant menu of Bath based Chef Christophe Lacroix, cooked using UK Red Tractor meat and produce from local suppliers in small batches before being blast frozen for a ‘restaurant at home’ experience. “Blast freezing maintains the nutrients and flavour, and the recyclable packs can be cooked in the oven or the microwave so there really is no compromise in terms of speed. And because it is stored in the freezer until it is eaten, there is absolutely no waste from food prep or missing use by dates,” says Jackie.

For shoppers choosing not to eat out at restaurants, whether that’s for budgetary reasons or because they would prefer to stay at home, today’s ready meals certainly deliver on taste and quality. Consider the popularity of Marks & Spencer’s Dine In meal deals – especially on Valentine’s Day… Dining in is well and truly seen as a viable alternative to reservations and delivery drivers.

“Ready meals are becoming one of the treats of the week! Eating out is increasingly cost prohibitive for shoppers and as a nation we are clocking up more hours at work than many of our neighbours,” agrees Jackie. “A quick and easy meal that tastes fabulous, is full of nutritious ingredients and can be dished up at home in minutes is increasingly attractive.”

Who buys high quality ready meals?

“Our customers tend to fall into the age bracket of 35 and over,” says Jackie. “Within that there are several segments;  higher demographic families with young children, busy professionals looking for convenience and quality, 50 something couples with very active lives who don’t want to shop and cook each and every day, and also an older segment for whom shopping and cooking has become too much of challenge. They all have one thing in common: they want a meal that is quick to prepare but they want to eat well.”

For Milly Bagot at ByRuby, families offer a valuable opportunity for the food industry. Tight on time but not when it comes to their appetite for quality food, they are the new frontier when it comes to quality ready meals. Far from being the preserve of solo nights in front of the television, ready meals can offer a delicious, nutrient-rich solution for both parents and children.

“According to Mintel, 54% of consumers say that they have concerns around ultra processed foods, which means that there’s a nervousness around anything people buy that they haven’t cooked from scratch,” she begins. “During Covid, people were cooking from scratch more so got to know the value of good quality ingredients and became more discerning about what goes into the food they eat – especially when they’re also feeding it to their children.”

ByRuby’s family-sized lasagne and fish pie are proving immensely popular – not least because of the time they are saving families who might not have the hours needed to produce a hearty, slow-cooked ragu from scratch going spare. “We like to think that it’s allowing people to spend time doing things that they might not otherwise get a chance to,” she explains. “So what we really try and encourage people to do is read a book to their children, go on a nice walk, do an exercise class – do something that they might otherwise not have the time for. It’s a gift to be able to spend time doing something you like versus slaving in the kitchen.”

Just as important is the lack of unnecessary ‘nasties’ in premium ready meals. “We’re really obsessive about ensuring that the ingredients in our dishes are made-up purely of things that you’d find in your own kitchen at home, so no additives or preservatives,” says Milly. “Plus, the beauty of freezing is that you just don’t need those things.”

What’s to come for the ready meal market?

Jackie believes there will be more brands coming to the fore, offering more choice on food types, special diets and meal occasions. “Consumers will continue to want more variety and flavour experiences,” she says. “As eating out becomes ever more expensive the quality ready meal market will benefit. In addition we are already starting to see Bistro Chef in some vending locations and that trend will continue, with consumers expecting ‘quality food on the go’.” 

“The British ready meals category has enormous potential,” believes David. “We are on the cusp of something very exciting as premium brands, like Crosta Mollica, lead the way and show how this industry can be sophisticated, champion craftmanship and quality, and provide balanced and ‘clean’ options (that is, not including unnecessary and excessive ingredients). We understand that truly exceptional ready meals, as we say at Crosta Mollica, are ‘Non Per Tutti’ – not for everyone, but we will remain committed to continuing to elevate and innovate for those seeking something extraordinary in every bite, proving that the ready meals of today can deliver restaurant-quality experiences with the ultimate convenience of home cooking. The industry’s future isn’t about compromise, it’s about having it all.”

Wholesaler insight

Helen Wallace, senior buyer at The Cress Co, shares her take on the chilled food market

While convenience remains the primary driver of this category, I believe the evolution has also been significantly influenced by a younger demographic. This group tends to have less cooking experience than previous generations and shows a greater appetite for diverse and global cuisines—something that has fuelled much of the recent NPD (new product development) in the sector. Additionally, there’s been a noticeable shift in perceptions of what constitutes ‘healthy.’ Consumers are increasingly moving away from a narrow focus on calorie control towards options that emphasise clean-label recipes, high-protein content, and whole-food ingredients.

Operational viability is critical for us. While chilled ready meals provide maximum convenience for the end consumer, their shorter shelf life presents a logistical challenge. We work closely with our suppliers to ensure that as much of the total shelf life as possible is passed on to our customers. The ready meal category enjoys high penetration, so consumer awareness is strong and offering a range that offers a real point of difference from what is available in the major multiples is key for us and our customers.

In the mainstream sector, I expect to see a clearer divergence between two key trends: everyday, balanced meal-prep alternatives that address concerns around ultra-processed foods, and more indulgent, “treat day” products. We’re also likely to see a rise in influencer-led brands appearing on supermarket shelves, tapping into consumer trust and aspirational marketing.
In the fine food market, where our customer base tends to be slightly older, I anticipate continued demand for premium, indulgent options – particularly those cuisines that customers are familiar with but feel less confident cooking at home. Our chilled range of authentically prepared Praveen Kumar curries fits this bill perfectly.