As a nation driven by convenience, the market for chilled ready meals is only expected to grow. Social and demographic changes along with changing lifestyles and attitudes are the main forces driving the market into a phenomenal upturn.

In this report, Mintel examines the chilled ready meals market in the UK, analysing its worth and growth throughout the years and how it is associated with consumer behaviour and purchasing trends. Findings show that long working hours and family patterns are fragmenting meal times and resulting in little time to make meals from scratch.

Ready meals have capitalised on consumer desire for better quality and authentic taste. With rising disposable incomes to stimulate demand for premium products, a wide variety of products are emerging onto the market. New product launches within the market have increased consumer range – ‘healthy’ meals, takeaways and party meals.

The success of chilled ready meals is dominated by the fact that the market has not yet reached maturity and therefore can look forward to continued strong growth in the short to medium term, provided that retailers continue to concentrate on quality and innovation.