Focus On Ready Meals & Soup: 13 January

By Matt Chittock matt.chittocknew@googlemail.com

Publishing: 13 January 2023

Advertising deadline: 19 December 2022

Submissions deadline: 18 December 2022

Print, digital and sponsorship opportunities

Restaurant-quality ready meals would once have been a contradiction in terms. Not anymore. A new generation of posh frozen and chilled ready meals and soups are in strong growth as they try to appeal to people who are eating out less because of the squeeze on their finances. So which brands are in the strongest growth? How are retailers promoting and merchandising such products? And what’s in store for the coming year?

Restaurant brands: As we revealed in October, renowned Michelin-starred restaurant Gymkhana is planning to launch a range of premium ready meals. When will it launch? What will it look like? And what are other restaurant brands doing in the world of ready meals?

Retailer meal deals: Tesco has been running dine-in meal deals in recent months, offering a main, side, pud and bottle of wine for the bargain price of £12. How successful has it been? What are its rivals doing?

Ambient, frozen and fresh: Ready meals in different aisles have seen different sales patterns over the past year. How are shoppers’ choices changing?

Soup: Trendy chilled soup brands are growing while their peers in the ambient section shrink. Is this trend likely to continue?

Brand vs own label: Own label ready meals have become more popular of late, likely due to lower prices. How can premium fare improve its performance?

Innovations: We will profile four new products or ranges that have ideally not appeared in The Grocer before. We need launch date, rsp, and a hi-res picture of each