Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Issues covered in this Report
Executive Summary
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- The market
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- Figure 1: Estimated value sales of prepared meals, IoI, NI and RoI, 2014-19
- Forecast
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- Figure 2: Estimated index sales of prepared meals, IoI, NI and RoI, 2014-19
- Market factors
- Food prices rising in the UK
- Scratch cooking impacts prepared meals usage
- Saturated fat remains a concern in prepared meals
- Busy lifestyles lead to more opportunities for prepared meals
- Companies and innovations
- The consumer
- Pizza is the most popular prepared meal
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- Figure 3: Types of ready meals and prepared foods consumers have eaten in the last month, NI and RoI, September 2019
- Dinner time remains prime occasion for ready meals
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- Figure 4: Occasions consumers typically eat ready meals or prepared foods, by type of prepared meal, NI and RoI, September 2019
- Traditional ready meals appeal to Irish consumers
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- Figure 5: Types of cuisines of prepared meals consumers have eaten in the last month, NI and RoI, September 2019
- Consumers want prepared meals to be ‘greener’
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- Figure 6: Agreement with statements related to ready meals and prepared foods, NI and RoI, September 2019
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Ready meals forecast for 2.5% growth in 2019
- Food prices rising in the UK, falling in RoI
- Ready meals face strong competition from scratch cooking
- Sugar and saturated fat remain a concern
- Meals becoming more snackable
Market Sizes and Forecast
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- 2019 market estimated to experience 2.5% growth
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- Figure 7: Estimated value sales of prepared meals, IoI, NI and RoI, 2014-24
- Prepared meals market forecast 14% growth by 2024
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- Figure 8: Estimated value sales of prepared meals, NI and RoI, 2014-24
Market Drivers
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- Food prices are on the rise in NI
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- Figure 9: Consumer price index of food and non-alcoholic beverages, UK (including NI), May 2017-August 2019
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- Figure 10: How consumers expect their personal financial situation to improve over the next 12 months, NI and RoI, September 2019
- RoI consumers see food prices decline
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- Figure 11: Consumer price index of food, RoI, May 2017-August 2019
- Almost half of consumers scratch cook five or more times a week
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- Figure 12: Frequency consumers eat meals cooked from scratch in a typical week, NI and RoI, September 2019
- Figure 13: Top five reasons for cooking from scratch, NI and RoI, March 2018
- Ethic animal claims could be the way forward
- Sugar in prepared meals needs to be addressed
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- Figure 14: Ingredients in food and drink products consumers are concerned about, NI and RoI, June 2018
- Snacks ‘eating’ into meal occasions
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- Figure 15: Consumer agreement with statements related to meals, NI and RoI, 2018-19
Companies and Brands - What You Need to Know
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- Environmental claims dip in prepared meals
- Brands respond to rising vegetarian and vegan trends
- Retailers compete with the dining-out experience
Who’s Innovating?
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- New product development on the rise in ready meals
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- Figure 16: New products launched, by sub-category, UK and Ireland, 2014-19
- Microwavable claims continue to lead innovation
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- Figure 17: Top 10 claims in prepared meals category, UK and Ireland, 2014-19
- Sustainable packaging needs to be addressed in prepared meals
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- Figure 18: New products launched within prepared meals, by environmentally friendly packaging and recycling claims, UK and Ireland, 2014-2019
- Chilled sector leads new product development
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- Figure 19: New products launched, by storage segment, UK and Ireland, 2014-19
- Retailers could further their reach with alcohol
Companies and Brands
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- Aldi (RoI only)
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Latest Developments
- Birds Eye
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Latest Developments
- Dr. Oetker
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Latest Developments
- Dunnes
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Latest Developments
- Kerry Foods
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Latest Developments
- Kraft Heinz
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Latest Developments
- Lidl
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Latest Developments
- Marks & Spencer
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Latest Developments
- Supervalu (Musgrave)
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Latest Developments
- Tesco
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Latest Developments
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Pizza is the top prepared meal bought by Irish consumers
- Prepared meals are performing best at dinner time
- Traditional cooking appeals to Irish consumers
- Prepared meals must innovate with environmentally friendly packaging
Ready Meal Usage
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- NI consumers eat prepared meals more than RoI
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- Figure 20: Types of ready meals and prepared foods consumers have eaten in the last month, NI and RoI, September 2019
- Pizza is the most popular prepared meal
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- Figure 21: Consumers who have eaten chilled or frozen pizza in the last month, NI and RoI, September 2019
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- Figure 22: Occasions consumers typically eat chilled or frozen pizza, NI and RoI, September 2019
- Younger consumers shy away from soups
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- Figure 23: Consumers who have eaten soup (eg tinned, chilled, packet) in the last month, NI and RoI, September 2019
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- Figure 24: Occasions consumers typically eat soup (eg chilled, tinned or in a pouch), NI and RoI, September 2019
- Women prefer cold side dishes
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- Figure 25: Consumers who have eaten soup (eg tinned, chilled, packet) in the last month, NI and RoI, September 2019
Ready Meal Occasions
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- Prepared meals eaten most for dinner occasion
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- Figure 26: Occasions consumers typically eat ready meals or prepared foods, by type of prepared meal, NI and RoI, September 2019
- Meal kits used most for evening meals
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- Figure 27: Occasions consumers typically eat meal kits (eg fajita kit), NI and RoI, September 2019
- Chilled vs frozen ready meals – the opportunities
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- Figure 28: Occasions consumers typically eat ready meals, by chilled vs frozen, NI and RoI, September 2019
- Healthy ready meals can target lunchtime trade
- Snack pots benefit from being versatile and convenient
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- Figure 29: Occasions consumers typically eat snack pots (eg pot noodle, porridge pot), NI and RoI, September 2019
Ready Meal Cuisines
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- Traditional prepared meals favoured
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- Figure 30: Types of cuisines of prepared meals consumers have eaten in the last month, NI and RoI, September 2019
- Men more likely to eat traditional prepared meals
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- Figure 31: Consumers who have eaten traditional British/Irish prepared meals (eg stew, shepherd's pie) in the last month, by gender and age, NI and RoI, September 2019
- Affluent consumers more likely to choose Italian
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- Figure 32: Consumers who have eaten Italian prepared meals in the last month, by social class, NI and RoI, September 2019
- Younger consumers opting for Mexican
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- Figure 33: Consumers who have eaten Mexican/Tex-Mex prepared meals (eg fajita, burrito) in the last month, by age, NI and RoI, September 2019
Attitudes Towards Ready Meals
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- More needs to be done to address packaging in prepared meals
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- Figure 34: Agreement with statements related to ready meals and prepared foods, NI and RoI, September 2019
- Ready meals bring new cuisines into the home
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- Figure 35: Consumer agreement with the statement ‘Prepared meals are an ideal way to sample a new cuisine’, by age, NI and RoI, September 2019
- Frozen ready meal quality improving
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- Figure 36: Consumer agreement with the statement ‘the quality of frozen ready meals has improved in recent years’, NI and RoI, September 2019
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- Figure 37: Consumer agreement with the statement ‘Chilled prepared meals have a superior taste compared to frozen options’, NI and RoI, September 2019
- Prepared meals can give insight into vegan lifestyles
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- Figure 38: Consumer agreement with the statement ‘prepared meals are an ideal way to sample vegetarian/vegan dishes’, by gender, NI and RoI, September 2019
- Figure 39: Selective diets consumers are currently adhering to, NI and RoI, June 2018 and June 2019
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Data sources
- Generational cohort definitions
- Abbreviations
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