The soup segment is particularly beholden to weather and the warmer 2013/14 winter had a negative impact on sales. A few operators in the segment are looking to drive usage throughout the year through NPD, such as the development of ‘summer’ soup flavours or cold soups, as well as products that can be drunk on the go.

The horsemeat scare of 2013 had an adverse effect on the prepared meals sector. Frozen ready meals saw an almost 8% drop in value and volume sales in 2013, the scare appearing to have prompted some consumers to leave the category.

Highlighting how convenience remains a key factor within the prepared meals market, more than half of UK adults see prepared meals such as ready meals, pizza, soup and pies and pasties as ‘convenient’.

Events such as the Brazil-based Football World Cup have presented scope for innovation around South American flavours. More than a quarter of buyers of prepared meals express an interest in ready meals based on recipes from different countries. Meanwhile, pizza is well positioned as a meal accompaniment for convivial occasions such as watching sports events, with usage geared towards larger households and households with children.

Prepared meals include meals where all the preparation has been done by the manufacturer and the meal just requires heating or cooking by conventional or microwave oven, crock pot, wok, etc. This includes:

Chilled, frozen and shelf-stable ready meals, including complete and part meals, and meal centres. This includes complete meals such as spaghetti Bolognese and curry with rice. It also includes part meals/meal centres (including burgers in a bap/bun) to which the consumer may, but need not, add items such as vegetables, pasta or rice, such as single ethnic dishes like chicken tikka.

Ready-to-cook foods are chilled foods specifically positioned as needing no further preparation on the part of the consumer other than opening the packet and cooking the product according to the on-pack instructions. The major multiples have developed their own specific sub-branded ranges of such foods, such as the Sainsbury’s Just Cook range and Asda’s Go Cook! range. It should be noted that some sectors of the trade use the terms ‘part prepared’ or ‘partially prepared foods’ – both terms are deemed to refer to ready-to-cook foods as defined for the purpose of this report.

‘Pies’ that have no pastry content (for example, shepherd’s pie) and, therefore, do not conform to Mintel’s definition of a pie, are included as ready meals in this report.

Pies and pasties with pastry sold through retail channels. Mintel’s definition of a pie and pasty is a product that comprises pastry with a filling, be that meat or vegetable. The list includes but is not limited to pork pies, sausage rolls, pasties, slices, chicken pies, quiche etc. Pies can be sold hot ready to eat, cold ready to eat, chilled ready to cook/heat or frozen ready to cook/heat or canned. Products that are bought as snacks from outlets such as supermarkets, bakers and convenience stores and consumed on the go are included. Products sold through foodservice outlets (eg pubs, cafés) are excluded.

Soup includes wet ambient soup (for example, canned) either in a ready-to-heat or condensed format. It also includes wet chilled soup and dried soup such as packet or instant cup soups.

Pizza includes both frozen and chilled products sold through the grocery retail channel. The report covers main meal and individually sized pizzas, slices, French bread pizza and mini pizzas. Pizzas sold through foodservice outlets such as restaurants and takeaways are excluded.

Canned meals, while included under the GNPD definition, are excluded from the market size. They are covered under Mintel’s Meat, Seafood and Poultry – UK, October 2013 report.

Salads, including pasta or rice-based ‘salads’ sold as a side dish.

Raw meal centres such as sausages as well as prepared meal centres rarely eaten without other foods, such as fish fingers.

Excluded are tarts, tinned beef mince and snacks such as bhajis or spring rolls.

Products bought in catering outlets such as cafés, restaurants, fish and chip shops, etc.

Selected meal products are excluded from this report where they are covered as part of a separate report such as baby food, instant noodle/rice/pasta snacks and canned/ambient pasta.

Meal kits are not included in the market size, but are referred to in other sections of the report. These are products which require assembly and/or the addition of ingredients to create a complete meal, such as fajita kits which include tortillas, salsa and spice mix, but require the addition of vegetables and/or meat/chicken.

Value figures throughout this report are at retail selling prices (rsp) unless stated otherwise. Market sizes at constant 2013 prices are devised using Mintel’s food deflator. Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen’s Printer for Scotland.