2025
9
UK Processed Poultry and Red Meat Main Meal Components Market Report 2025
2025-10-31T12:01:30+00:00
REPC98232CC_1AB1_4E72_BCE0_FAB087EBF1C2
2195
188149
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Report
en_GB
Precooked hot meat products hold untapped potential in retail. While the grocers have scaled back hot food counters since COVID-19, half of shoppers (54%) find precooked hot meat…
UK
Meat and Fish
simple

UK Processed Poultry and Red Meat Main Meal Components Market Report 2025

"The category enjoys near-universal usage, but traditional formats face growing competition. Convenience and replacing foodservice meals remain key NPD priorities."

Amy Bishop, Analyst UK Food & Drink Reports

Amy Bishop, Analyst UK Food & Drink Reports

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  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • What you need to know
    • Market predictions
    • Opportunities
    • Elevate convenience proposition
    • Help shoppers recreate foodservice experiences
    • Look to social media and brand collaborations for flavour NPD
  2. MARKET DYNAMICS

    • Market size
    • Market size and forecast
    • Modest growth in 2025
    • Graph 1: retail value sales of selected processed poultry and red meat main meal components, 2019-25
    • Market forecast
    • Price rises will fuel value growth over 2025-30
    • Graph 2: market forecast for retail value sales of processed poultry and red meat main meal components, 2019-30
    • Pressures on volumes ahead; price rises will prop up value growth
    • Market segmentation
    • Pressures on household finances help lower-cost options
    • Graph 3: value retail sales of red meat main meal components and coated poultry, by segment, 2021-25
    • Rising beef prices take a toll on burgers in 2025
    • Market share
    • Own-label leads, Heck gains in chilled sausages
    • Graph 4: retail sales of leading brands in chilled sausages, by value, 2022/23-2024/25
    • Market drivers
    • Three in 10 see their finances as healthy
    • Graph 5: the financial wellbeing index, 2016-25
    • Cautious consumer spending lingers
    • Graph 6: the financial confidence index, 2021-25
    • Steep inflation in beef bolsters appeal of pork and poultry
    • Graph 7: CPI index, selected food categories and restaurant meals, 2020-25
    • Government confirms HFSS ad restrictions, delays implementation until January 2026
    • Breaded poultry falls within HFSS restrictions, but burgers and sausages are outside the scope
    • Two in three try to eat healthily all or most of the time
    • Graph 8: how often people try to eat healthily, 2019-25
    • Ultra-processed foods remain in the spotlight
    • Population growth offers some support to processed meat
    • Graph 9: population, by age, 2020, 2025 and 2030
    • Sustainability remains pertinent
    • Supermarkets step up chicken welfare commitments
    • Reciprocal tariff-free quota deal with US and removal of the Export Health Certificates for exports to EU
  3. WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY

    • Usage of processed meat and poultry products
    • Nine in 10 eat processed meat/poultry
    • Graph 10: usage of processed meat products by type, 2025
    • Age groups show stark differences in product choice
    • Graph 11: usage of selected processed meat products by age, 2025
    • Air-fryer-friendly and slow-cooked hold further potential amid focus on convenience
    • Same-day use and quick preparation play a key role in driving processed meat choices
    • Convenience leads in processed meat choices
    • Short cooking time warrants more spotlight
    • Slow-cooked can tap into everyday eating occasions
    • Strong demand for air-fryer-suited processed meat, including premium options
    • Elevate convenience to compete with foodservice
    • Strong interest in hot, ready-to-heat and air-fryer-suited options
    • Demand for precooked hot meat products
    • Birds Eye makes an appearance at hot food counters
    • Rotisserie products hold potential in ready-to-heat
    • Restaurant trends support rotisserie
    • Helping home cooks recreate restaurant meals remains pertinent
    • Flavour innovation remains crucial
    • Tap interest in exciting flavours, brand collaborations and social media
    • Flavour NPD remains crucial but hotly competitive
    • Look to social media for NPD flavour inspiration
    • Brand collaborations hold untapped potential
    • Birds Eye and Iceland offer inspiration
  4. INNOVATION AND MARKETING TRENDS

    • Launch activity and innovation
    • Share of slow-cooked launches rises
    • Graph 12: share of products referencing ‘slow-cooked’ in product description, in processed meat and poultry product launches, 2020-25
    • Slow-cooked launches span from premium to everyday and from classic British to world food flavours
    • Expansion in slow-cooked
    • Air-fryer-friendly positioning takes centre stage
    • NPD looks to capitalise on topical themes
    • NPD continues to explore international flavours
    • Chicken launches continue to explore fakeaways
    • Leading brands expand with low-fuss processed meat products
    • New brands move into processed meat
    • Advertising and marketing activity
    • Advertising expenditure increases in 2024
    • Graph 13: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on processed poultry and red meat products*, 2021-25
    • Richmond brings ‘Good Times’ to teatime
    • Birds Eye spotlights how its frozen food ‘feeds greatness’
    • Birds Eye’s ‘That’s a Recipe for a Life Well Fed’
    • AHDB supports meat with two campaigns in early 2025
    • Waitrose champions animal welfare with ‘check your chicken’
    • Waitrose highlights Better Chicken Commitment
  5. APPENDIX

    • Supplementary data
    • UK: retail sales of leading brands in chilled sausages, by value, 2022/23-2024/25
    • UK: retail sales of leading brands in chilled sausages, by volume, 2022/23-2024/25
    • UK: retail sales of leading manufacturers in chilled sausages, by value, 2022/23-2024/25
    • UK: retail sales of leading manufacturers in chilled sausages, by volume, 2022/23-2024/25
    • UK: retail sales of leading brands in bacon, by value and volume, 2022/23-2024/25
    • UK: retail sales of leading manufacturers in bacon, by value and volume, 2022/23-2024/25
    • UK: retail sales of leading brands in canned meats, by value, 2022/23-2024/25
    • UK: retail sales of leading brands in canned meats, by volume, 2022/23-2024/25
    • UK: retail sales of leading manufacturers in canned meats, by value, 2022/23-2024/25
    • UK: retail sales of leading manufacturers in canned meats, by volume, 2022/23-2024/25
    • Market forecast data and methodology
    • Market forecast
    • Market forecast and prediction intervals (value)
    • Forecast methodology
    • Forecast – note on US trade disruption
    • Report scope and definitions
    • Market definition
    • Market definition (continued)
    • Abbreviations and terms
    • Consumer research methodology
    • Nielsen Ad Intel coverage

UK Processed Meats Market – Trends and Insights

  • Precooked hot meat products hold untapped potential in retail. While the grocers have scaled back hot food counters since COVID-19, half of shoppers (54%) find precooked hot meat products in retail appealing. This suggests strong potential for such products to compete with foodservice for ‘food for now’ occasions.
  • The popularity of international cuisines and consumers’ love of newness will continue to put pressure on traditional processed meat meal components. Product innovation remains crucial to maintain the category’s relevance.
  • Once consumer confidence regains momentum, sustainability will become more front of mind. This is expected to buoy the meat reduction trend, reaffirming the need for green initiatives from the category to keep shoppers on side.
  • Shortcut products that help consumers recreate foodservice experiences at home will remain pertinent in 2026, as pressures on household budgets continue to curb restaurant and takeaway meals.
  • Beyond continued NPD in the slow-cooked segment, air-fryer friendly and rotisserie-style products hold strong potential in the premium space, given consumer interest.

Key Issues Covered in the Report

  • Key trends in launch activity and future opportunities
  • Usage of processed meat and key demographics
  • Choice factors for processed meat products, including the importance of speed of preparation
  • Behaviours related to processed meat, including the importance of exciting flavours in product choice
  • Attitudes towards processed meat, including interest in processed meat products sold hot.
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