2025
9
UK Ready Meals Market Report 2025
2025-09-30T14:03:30+00:00
REPB8B1EB44_DB60_45B2_9D44_120B41C3687A
2195
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Report
en_GB
Ready meals enjoy near-universal usage, though they remain an occasional rather than everyday choice for most people. Their role as a popular alternative to foodservice meals will continue to bolster…
UK
Ready Meals
simple

UK Ready Meals Market Report 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."

Amy Bishop, Analyst - Food & Drink

Amy Bishop, Analyst - Food & Drink

UK Ready Meals Market – Trends and Insights

  • Ready meals enjoy widespread usage but are typically an occasional choice rather than an everyday staple. Their popularity as an alternative to foodservice meals is expected to sustain demand in the short term, especially as consumer spending gradually improves.
  • A significant challenge for the UK ready meals market is the perception of being highly processed, with almost two-thirds of adults holding this view. Packaging design can play a pivotal role in addressing this by showcasing visible fresh ingredients and vibrant natural colors, while also emphasizing clean-label claims.
  • Consumers show strong interest in suggestions for tailoring ready meals to their taste, which could enhance engagement and satisfaction.
  • Variants that require slightly more involved preparation also appeal to many users, offering an opportunity for brands to innovate while maintaining the balance between convenience and customization.

Key Topics Analysed in the Report

  • Key trends in launch activity and future opportunities
  • Usage of ready meals and key demographics
  • The most important factors that signal lower processing in ready meals
  • Attitudes towards ready meals, including interest in tailoring them to taste
  • Behaviours related to ready meals, including the guilt associated with these
Report AttributesDetails
Published DateSeptember 2025
Report AuthorAmy Bishop, Analyst UK Food & Drink Reports
Data Range2019-2030
Consumer Data2,000 internet users aged 16+, June 2025
Market SegmentationChilled ready meal, Frozen ready meal, Non-chilled/-frozen ready meal
Leading Brands in the UK Ready Meals MarketCharlie Bigham’s, The Tofoo Co, Gressingham, The Gym Kitchen, Mash Direct, McIntosh
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  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • Opportunities for the ready meal market
    • Visible signals of freshness can counter UPF perceptions
    • Inviting users to tailor meals boosts engagement
    • Reposition ready meals as a positive choice to combat associations with guilt
    • Market dynamics and outlook
    • Market size and forecast
    • Market predictions
    • Rising prices will fuel value growth
    • Graph 1: market forecast for value retail sales of chilled ready meals, selected sides and meat substitutes*, 2019-30
    • Own-label dominates, but brands gain share
    • Graph 2: retail sales of leading brands in chilled ready meals, sides and meat substitutes market^, by value, 2022/23-2024/25
    • HFSS restrictions, UPF spotlight and interest in health impact ready meals
    • What consumers want and why
    • Ready meals enjoy near-universal, but occasional, usage
    • Graph 3: frequency of eating ready meals, 2025
    • Visible cues help counter UPF perceptions
    • Graph 4: attributes seen to make ready meals unlikely to be highly processed, 2025
    • Suggestions on tailoring ready meals appeal widely
    • Graph 5: attitudes towards ready meals, 2025
    • Feelings of guilt cast a shadow on ready meals
    • Graph 6: behaviours related to ready meals, 2025
    • Innovation and marketing
    • Ambient and kids’ meals and world flavours feature in launches
    • Ad spend fell in 2024
    • Graph 7: total above the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on ready meals, by advertiser, 2021-25*
  2. MARKET DYNAMICS

    • Market size
    • A volatile period
    • Graph 8: 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 9: 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 10: 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 11: the financial wellbeing index, 2021-25
    • Cautious consumer spending lingers
    • Graph 12: the financial confidence index, 2021-25
    • Restaurant inflation bolsters the appeal of retail options
    • Graph 13: 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 14: 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 15: population, by age, 2020, 2025 and 2030
  3. WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY

    • Usage of ready meals
    • Nine in 10 eat ready meals, but they are an occasional choice
    • Nine in 10 people eat ready meals
    • Graph 16: types of ready meals eaten, 2025
    • Ready meals remain an occasional choice for many
    • Graph 17: frequency of eating ready meals, 2025
    • Young people and those in better finances remain primary users of ready meals
    • Graph 18: usage of ready meals foods at least once a week, by age and financial situation, 2025
    • Cues that signal lower processing in ready meals
    • Two in three people see ready meals as highly processed
    • Visible cues help counter UPF perceptions
    • Graph 19: attributes seen to make ready meals unlikely to be highly processed, 2025
    • See-through packaging can showcase attributes signalling lower processing
    • Bol and M&S offer examples of see-through packaging
    • See-through and taller packaging offers scope to display the meal
    • Social media offers inspiration for the potential for vertical packaging
    • Additive-free claims need highlighting on front of pack
    • Cooking up trust through production transparency…
    • …communicated on-pack and in-store messaging
    • Attitudes towards ready meals
    • Suggestions on tailoring ready meals appeal widely
    • Graph 20: attitudes towards ready meals, 2025
    • Consumer involvement boosts positive perceptions of ready meals
    • Ability to tailor meals to one’s preferences boosts their appeal
    • Added texture is under-utilised
    • Meal bundles can tap interest in tailoring meals
    • Involvement in preparation makes ready meals feel less processed
    • Behaviours related to ready meals
    • Feelings of guilt cast a shadow on ready meals
    • Graph 21: behaviours related to ready meals, 2025
    • Signals of less processing appeal to those feeling guilty
    • Better-for-you elements capture consumer interest
    • Nutritional completeness offers a way for ready meals to engage consumers who feel guilty…
    • …along with plant variety
    • Blood sugar management claims warrant attention
    • Half of buyers put health to one side for ready meals
  4. INNOVATION AND MARKETING TRENDS

    • Launch activity and innovation
    • Ambient launches ebb, but familiar names remain active…
    • …with better-for-you NPD continuing
    • International flavours feature in branded launches…
    • …and private label ones
    • Asda and Waitrose relaunch premium own-label ranges
    • Restaurant brands extend ready meal offering
    • Crisps stalwart Walkers enters ready meals
    • Iceland and Little Dish expand ready meals for children
    • Protein claims lose share of launches, but specialists remain active
    • Advertising and marketing activity
    • Ad spend fell in 2024
    • Graph 22: total above the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on ready meals, by advertiser, 2021-25*
    • Charlie Bigham’s builds on 2024 campaign with ‘northern push’
    • Charlie Bigham’s 2024 campaign focuses on the brand’s origin story
    • M&S teams up with Mark Wright to introduce revamped slow-cooked range
    • Parsley Box ‘Quality Time’ ad champions easy mealtimes and meaningful moments
    • Jamie Oliver Group rolls out ‘Just Add Jamie’ campaign
    • Little Dish plays on mealtime realities to win over parents
  5. APPENDIX

    • Supplementary data
    • Presence of children bolsters ready meals usage
    • Graph 23: 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

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