​Focus On Ready Meals: 10 January

By Rob Brown rob_j_a_brown@hotmail.com

Publishing: 10 January 2026

Advertising deadline: 19 December 2025

Submissions deadline: 7 December 2025

Print, digital and sponsorship opportunities

Ready meal ranges are getting bigger, better and a whole lot pricier. In October, Tesco announced an overhaul of its chilled ready meals with the launch of a posh new own-label ranges several new premium branded lines. Other examples of how far ready meals have come include M&S’s launch of six new “restaurant quality” premium pasta meals and Sainsbury’s expanding its Taste the Difference brand into sharing plates, tapas and meze.

• So, how are retailers choosing their ready meals ranges – and how are they merchandising them? How successful have these initiatives been?
• How are brands competing with own label?
• And are people really prepared to pay as much as £17.50 for a ready meal?

Ready meals as a retail point of difference

• Which retailers are in strongest growth and decline in ready meals?
• How are different retailers approaching ranging, merchandising, brands and own label?
• How important are ‘dine in for X’ deals becoming and to what extent are retailers using them to create a point of difference?

Ready meals for all occasions

• What’s driving growth and innovation in posher ready meals?
• To what extent are people eating out less and eating more at home?
• How important are health and convenience in ready meals?

The year ahead

• Which will be the dominant trends in ready meals in the coming year?
• What new products are brands and own label launching?
• How much of a challenge is the ultra-processed food debate to the category?

Innovation

• We will profile four new products or ranges. We need launch date, rsp, and a hi-res picture of each.