UK Ready Meals – Market Dynamics 2025
Ready meals' popularity as an alternative to foodservice meals continues to buoy demand. Combating the category's highly processed image will help brands stand out.
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market size
- A volatile period
- Graph 1: retail sales of chilled ready meals, selected sides and meat substitutes*, 2019-25
- Volumes stagnate, value sales steam ahead in 2025
- Market forecast
- Rising prices will fuel value growth
- Graph 2: market forecast for value retail sales of chilled ready meals, selected sides and meat substitutes*, 2019-30
- Modest volume growth ahead
- Forecast – a note on US trade disruption
- Market share
- Own-label dominates, but brands gain share
- Graph 3: retail sales of leading brands in chilled ready meals, sides and meat substitutes market^, by value, 2022/23-2024/25
- Longstanding brands leap forward
- Better-for-you specialists outperform
- Market drivers
- One in three see their finances as healthy
- Graph 4: the financial wellbeing index, 2021-25
- Cautious consumer spending lingers
- Graph 5: the financial confidence index, 2021-25
- Restaurant inflation bolsters the appeal of retail options
- Graph 6: CPI annual rate, selected food categories and restaurant meals, 2021-25
- Government confirms HFSS ad restrictions, delays implementation until January 2026
- Ready meals fall within HFSS restrictions, but meal deals are outside the scope
- Two in three try to eat always or mostly healthily
- Graph 7: how often people try to eat healthily, 2019-25
- Ultra-processed foods remain in the spotlight
- Population growth offers some support to ready meals
- Graph 8: population, by age, 2020, 2025 and 2030
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APPENDIX
- Supplementary data
- Presence of children bolsters ready meals usage
- Graph 9: usage of ready meals at least three times a week by age and children in the household, 2025
- Market share
- UK: retail sales of leading brands in chilled ready meals, selected sides and meat substitutes*, by value, 2022/23-2024/25
- UK: retail sales of leading brands in chilled ready meals, selected sides and meat substitutes*, by volume, 2022/23-2024/25
- UK: retail sales of leading companies in chilled ready meals, selected sides and meat substitutes*, by value, 2022/23-2024/25
- UK: retail sales of leading companies in chilled ready meals, selected sides and meat substitutes*, by volume, 2022/23-2024/25
- Market segmentation
- Market forecast data and methodology
- Market forecast
- Market forecast and prediction intervals (value)
- Market forecast and prediction intervals (volume)
- Forecast methodology
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Consumer research methodology
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
This Market Dynamics report features market data extracted from Mintel’s UK Ready Meals Market Report 2025. Giving you direct access to key market information and analysis from our category experts. This report is ideal for those looking for a topline summary of the UK ready meals market. The full UK report is available to purchase here.
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report was written by Amy Bishop. Amy joined Mintel in June 2025 as a Food & Drink Research Analyst. Prior to working at Mintel, she worked as a research assistant at King’s College London specialising in consumer decision-making and in sustainability. She holds a degree in Neuroscience and Psychology, graduating in 2024.
Ready meals’ popularity as an alternative to foodservice meals continues to buoy demand. Combating the category’s highly processed image will help brands stand out.
Amy Bishop
Analyst UK Food & Drink Reports
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