UK Ready Meals Market Research Report: Forecast (2026–2032)

UK Ready Meals Market Size: Forecast (2026-2032)

The UK Ready Meals Market size is valued at around USD 5.86 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 8.22 billion by 2032. Along with this, the market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of around 4.95% during the forecast period, i.e., 2026-32.

UK Ready Meals Market is expanding rapidly, as consumers increasingly trade the time and effort of home cooking for convenient options that do not compromise on nutrition or quality. Rising lifestyle pressures, coupled with heightened health awareness, are steering households toward ready meals that offer balanced ingredients, controlled portions, and protein-rich formulations.

This behavioral shift is reflected in recent performance indicators, as in 2025 alone, fresh ready meals recorded a monthly spend of USD 180.90 million, with meat, fish, and poultry dishes emerging as the fastest-growing categories, underscoring the appetite for high-protein, convenient formats.

Parallel to changing consumption habits, the retail ecosystem that supports ready-meal distribution is expanding rapidly. For instance, Ocado Retail, the country’s leading online-only grocer, reported an 18% year-on-year surge in frozen-food sales in late 2025, aligning with national findings that nearly half of UK adults increased their frozen-food purchases over the previous year.

Shifts in domestic routines further strengthen the category. The average time households devote to preparing an evening meal has fallen noticeably compared with 2017, accelerating reliance on microwaveable dishes, chilled pizzas, and ready meals as everyday solutions.

Future investments will continue to reinforce this market trajectory. For instance, Lidl’s early-2025 commitment of USD 660.26 million to open over 40 stores and push towards 1,100 outlets will broaden geographic coverage. Sainsbury’s plans to add 75 Local stores over three years under its “Next Level Sainsbury’s” strategy. These expansions ensure wider availability, making ready meals even more integral to modern UK food habits.

Overall, the combined momentum of shifting consumer habits, expanding retail networks, and substantial future investments strongly positions ready meals as a core component of UK food consumption, with accessibility, convenience, and nutrition driving sustained growth in the years ahead.

UK Ready Meals Market Recent Developments:

• October 2025: BOSH introduced eight plant-based ready meals and pizzas in Tesco stores across the UK. The range features options like N’duja Sourdough Pizza, Goan Chickpea Curry, Creamy Mac & Greens, and Ultimate Bean Chilli, offering nutritious, flavorful choices starting at about USD 4.90.
• September 2025: Fit Foods, Ireland’s top ready-meal brand, entered the UK market with six products now available in nearly 300 Morrisons stores. The range targets health-focused shoppers, offering high-protein, lower-fat meals designed for convenient everyday nutrition.

UK Ready Meals Market Scope:

UK Ready Meals Market Drivers:

Rising Health Awareness & Evolving Consumer Preferences

The UK ready-meals category is being driven primarily by stronger consumer demand for genuinely healthier options as public awareness of diet-related risks rises. For instance, National data for 2023 shows that 64.5% of adults in England are overweight or living with obesity, with 26.5% classified as obese. This has prompted consumers to choose meals that are lower in salt, saturated fat, and calories, and higher in protein or plant-based ingredients.

In response, manufacturers and retailers are actively reformulating products and launching new health-oriented lines. Supported by national nutrition campaigns, companies are prioritizing clean labels, reduced salt levels, balanced macronutrients, and transparent ingredient sourcing.

Future policy developments are set to reinforce this momentum. For instance, the UK’s 10-Year Health Plan (2025) aims to make healthier choices more accessible by encouraging major food retailers to promote and reformulate nutritious products. Additionally, upcoming requirements for large food businesses to report on the healthiness of their sales will drive accountability and motivate expanded portfolios of nutritionally compliant ready meals.

Overall, rising health awareness, evolving consumer preferences, and supportive government initiatives are set to strengthen demand for healthier ready meals, encouraging manufacturers to innovate and expand nutritional offerings that align with the UK’s long-term public health objectives.

Expansion of Retail and Online Grocery

The continued expansion of grocery retail networks, alongside the rapid evolution of online fulfilment systems, is significantly reducing barriers to ready-meal purchases and converting occasional users into repeat buyers. As shopping behaviour shifts toward smaller, more frequent trips and doorstep delivery, consumers increasingly favour quick, heat-and-eat meals that match busy lifestyles and limited cooking time.

One major contributor to this shift is the strategic growth of convenience-format and neighborhood stores. Between 2023 and 2024, leading UK grocers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons collectively added around 800 new convenience outlets to their estates. These compact, locally accessible stores enhance proximity and increase impulse purchasing, which strongly benefits ready meals often chosen for last-minute or same-day consumption.

Online grocery remains a crucial channel as well, particularly for chilled and frozen ready meals that are well-suited to home delivery. In 2024, Ocado reported retail revenue of USD 944.14 million, supported by a 12.1% rise in active customers and a 16.9% increase in average weekly orders, evidence of sustained adoption of digital grocery shopping.

In parallel, several retailers are expanding physical capacity. Aldi, for example, confirmed plans to open hundreds of additional UK stores by 2027, backed by annual investments exceeding USD 725.55 million. Such expansion directly broadens shelf space for ready meals.

Collectively, these omnichannel investments strengthen product availability, improve accessibility, and reinforce long-term demand for ready-meal offerings across the UK.

UK Ready Meals Market Trends:

Protein-Rich & Gym-Friendly Meals Gaining Momentum

Growing engagement in physical activity across the UK is reshaping consumer nutrition expectations, making protein-rich ready meals an increasingly attractive option.

According to Sport England’s Active Lives Adult Survey (2023), 63.7% of adults achieved the recommended 150 minutes of moderate activity per week, the highest level recorded since reporting began.  A growing health-focused, active consumer base now seeks convenient, protein-rich ready meals that support muscle recovery, satiety, and structured fitness routines.

The UK’s commercial fitness landscape is expanding, with 2024–2025 data showing 11.5 million gym members and roughly 7,200 gyms nationwide. As more adults follow structured fitness and high-protein diets, manufacturers are increasingly formulating ready meals with higher protein, balanced macros and performance-focused nutrition for time-pressed, health-driven consumers.

Multiple companies are aligning their portfolios with the growing demand for protein-focused convenience foods. For instance, Premier Foods, through its broad ready-meal and quick-meal ranges, is well positioned to reformulate products with higher-protein or health-oriented profiles as consumer preferences shift.

Overall, rising physical activity, expanding gym participation, and stronger nutritional awareness are accelerating demand for protein-rich ready meals. As consumers prioritize convenience without compromising health goals, manufacturers and retailers are increasingly innovating to deliver performance-aligned, high-protein meal solutions that fit active, modern lifestyles.

UK Ready Meals Market Challenges:

Rising Production & Ingredient Costs

Rising production and ingredient costs are placing significant pressure on the UK ready-meals sector, straining manufacturer margins, disrupting cost planning, and challenging the affordability and stability of product offerings.

For instance, Global commodity volatility continues to elevate input prices as the FAO Food Price Index reached 127.1 points in February 2025, driven by increases in dairy and vegetable oils as key components in many ready-meal formulations. Domestically, UK food and non-alcoholic beverage inflation rose 3.3% year-on-year to February 2025 (CPIH), pushing up the cost of raw materials across the supply chain.

Energy and logistics costs intensify this pressure. For instance, the UK’s 2026 energy price cap of USD 2,200 heightens expenses for processing, refrigeration and cold-chain distribution. Additionally, labor costs are rising due to increases in the National Living Wage and employer National Insurance contributions implemented in April 2025.

Overall, these escalating cost pressures limit producers’ ability to maintain competitive pricing, constrain investment in innovation, and increase the risk of reduced product variety ultimately slowing the growth and accessibility of the UK ready-meals market in the coming years.

UK Ready Meals Market (2026-32) Segmentation Analysis:

The UK Ready Meals Market Report and Forecast 2026-2032 offers a detailed analysis of the market based on the following segments:

Based on Product Type

• Dried Ready Meals
• Shelf Stable Ready Meals
• Chilled Ready Meals
• Frozen Ready Meals

The frozen ready meals segment holds the largest market share in the UK Ready Meals Industry, primarily due to their long shelf life, reliability in quality, and strong compatibility with evolving consumer lifestyles.

These products maintain flavor and nutritional integrity through advanced freezing technologies, which appeals to health-focused consumers seeking convenient yet balanced meal solutions. Their extended storage life also supports households aiming to manage budgets, minimize food waste, and streamline weekly meal planning.

The segment’s growth is further reinforced by the expansion of online grocery platforms and improved cold-chain logistics. Retailers such as Ocado, Iceland, and major supermarket chains continue to report rising interest in frozen categories, supported by broader product innovation ranging from global cuisines to high-protein and plant-based options.

Additionally, heightened cost-of-living pressures have motivated shoppers to opt for frozen alternatives that offer value without compromising on quality. Collectively, these factors solidify frozen ready meals as the market’s most dominant and resilient segment.

Based on End-User

• Household
• Commercial

The household segment leads the UK Ready Meals Industry. The market dominance is supported by the growing preference for convenient, time-saving meal options among working individuals, dual-income families, and students. As daily schedules become increasingly compressed, households are prioritizing solutions that minimize preparation effort while still offering balanced, nutritious choices.

Continuous product innovation, such as high-protein, plant-forward, and clean-label formulations, has further strengthened consumer confidence in ready meals for routine home consumption. Evolving shopping behaviors also reinforce this dominance. More frequent top-up shopping, wider convenience-store coverage, and the rise of rapid delivery and online grocery services have made ready meals more accessible for everyday household use.

Leading Players of the UK Ready Meals Market:

• Bakkavor Group plc

Bakkavor was founded in 1986, is headquartered in London, England. It specializes in fresh prepared foods offering ready meals, salads, artisanal breads, desserts, soups, pizzas, and other chilled-food products. The company serves major supermarkets and grocery retailers across the UK, and also exports to the US and China.

• Monde Nissin Corp.

Monde Nissin was incorporated on May 23, 1979, and its head office is located in Santa Rosa, Laguna, Philippines. Its expertise lies in manufacturing a diversified portfolio of food products, including instant noodles, biscuits, baked goods, snack foods, and, importantly, global meat-alternative and plant-based products via its acquisition of Quorn Foods. This gives it a stake in ready-meal and meat-substitute markets worldwide.

• NewPrinces SpA

NewPrinces was founded in 2004, is headquartered in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The company operates as a multinational food-processing group with broad expertise across canned foods, dairy products, bakery and bakery-derived items, pastas, sauces, and ready meals / specialized nutrition.

Aldi (UK), Premier Foods Plc, Wasabi Co Ltd, Ocado Group plc, Pukka Pies Ltd, Samworth Bros Ltd, Compleat Food Group Ltd., and others are the key players in the UK Ready Meals Market.

UK Ready Meals Market (2026-32): Regional Projection

The UK Ready Meals Market is dominated by the London region, driven by its large and diverse population, high workforce participation, and demanding urban lifestyles. Longer working hours and extensive commute patterns encourage reliance on convenient, quick-preparation meal solutions, making ready meals a practical fit for many households.

According to the Economic Activity Status assessment for Q1 2025, around 4.8 million London residents, approximately 66% of the adult population, were in employment, as reported by the Trust for London. This figure exceeds the employment rate in the rest of England, where about 60% of adults were in work during the same period, highlighting London’s consistently higher concentration of working-age individuals.

The region also benefits from one of the country’s most mature retail landscapes, with dense supermarket networks, widespread convenience-store coverage, and well-developed rapid-delivery services that ensure consistent accessibility to a wide range of ready-meal formats.

London’s multicultural demographic further stimulates demand for varied and globally inspired meal options, prompting manufacturers to prioritize product innovation tailored to the city’s broad culinary preferences. Additionally, higher average disposable income supports strong uptake of premium, health-oriented, and specialized ready meals. These structural and behavioral factors collectively position London as the most dynamic and dominant region in the UK Ready Meals Market.

Gain a Competitive Edge with Our UK Ready Meals Market Report 

• The UK Ready Meals Market Report by MarkNtel Advisors provides a detailed & thorough analysis of market size & share, growth rate, competitive landscape, and key players. This comprehensive analysis helps businesses gain a holistic understanding of the market dynamics & make informed decisions. 
• This report also highlights current market trends & future projections, allowing businesses to identify emerging opportunities & potential challenges. By understanding market forecasts, companies can align their strategies & stay ahead of the competition. 
• The UK Ready Meals Market Report aids in assessing & mitigating risks associated with entering or operating in the market. By understanding market dynamics, regulatory frameworks, and potential challenges, businesses can develop strategies to minimize risks & optimize their operations.

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