For too long, the chilled ready meal sector has been viewed through a limited lens, with attention focused on packaging, perceptions of health, or outdated assumptions about convenience food.
The truth is that the sector is uniquely placed to help consumers make better, more sustainable choices at scale. With millions of ready meals bought every week, even small shifts can deliver significant impact. Far from being a barrier to progress, the chilled category has a huge opportunity to be at the forefront of positive change.
Our nationwide Bulbshare survey shows that while most consumers recognise the quality of ingredients in ready meals, and over two-thirds agree that plant-based options can be just as healthy as meat-based ones, taste remains a key barrier.
We’ve also launched products that give consumers the option to pay more for proteins sourced with a lower carbon footprint – but these haven’t yet resonated with the mainstream. Rather than viewing this as a setback, it is an opportunity to innovate: to make sustainability and taste work hand in hand, while keeping ready meals accessible for all.
Smarter packaging as part of the solution
Packaging is the most visible sustainability challenge. Consumers see trays, films, and wrappers before they taste the food, so it’s no surprise it dominates the conversation. But this visibility also gives us a huge opportunity.
By redesigning packaging systems – whether through recyclable, reusable, or compostable solutions – we can demonstrate leadership that consumers can see and feel immediately.
Just as importantly, packaging can become a tool for education. Clear labelling, honest disposal guidance, and the use of QR codes can turn every pack into a platform for transparency. Imagine a meal sleeve that doesn’t just look attractive but also helps a shopper understand the carbon footprint of their dish or the story of its ingredients. We’re already working with a number of our customers in this way through our Gastro Hub – a dedicated food and packaging innovation centre for customers and suppliers at our site in Wrexham.
That’s how we can rebuild trust and create a packaging system that supports – not undermines – sustainability goals.
Cooking efficiency and plant-based innovation
One of the less discussed advantages of chilled meals lies in how they are cooked. Meals are batch-cooked in efficient food manufacturing plants, where heat recovery systems make them more efficient than cooking from scratch at home.
Reheating then becomes the key variable: microwaves add minimal emissions, while ovens, especially over long cooking times, can offset some of those efficiencies. This matters because it shows how convenience food, when combined with smart consumer choices, can actually reduce emissions.
The biggest opportunity lies in recipe innovation. Ingredients drive the largest share of a meal’s environmental footprint, so moving toward plant-forward options, while continuing to offer consumers choice, has the greatest impact. But this doesn’t mean eliminating meat entirely. Small but skilful adjustments – like reducing beef content in a lasagne and replacing it with lentils and mushrooms – can cut carbon significantly while still delivering the taste consumers expect.
We see this as a win-win: better for the planet, better for health, and often better for affordability too. With the right recipes and messaging, plant-forward meals can become a desirable part of mainstream lifestyles, helping to reframe sustainable eating as exciting rather than restrictive.
A sector ready to lead
Chilled meals are sometimes dismissed as symbols of convenience, but they can also be symbols of progress. With 15% of the UK food sector’s emissions linked to ready meals, the potential for impact is enormous. By addressing packaging in a transparent way, embracing plant-forward innovation, and seizing the chance to reshape perceptions, our sector can redefine what “convenience” means in 2025 and beyond.
Convenience should mean accessible, affordable, and sustainable food – available to everyone. That is the opportunity in front of us, and it’s one the chilled meals sector is ready to lead.
Sarah Hill, chief people and ESG officer, Oscar Mayer
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