Waitrose is investing £10m over three years in its biggest-ever improvement of ready meals, beginning this week with 29 new No. 1 dishes and more than 30 refreshed recipes.
Almost half of Waitrose customers bought a ready meal in the past year. Sales of ready meals are up 8% year-on-year, rising to 11% across its premium ranges, and are 23% higher on Fridays and Saturdays than during the rest of the week. This reflects the role ready meals play as a special dinner at home as well as a convenient midweek option.
For a grocer long associated with high-quality ingredients and scratch cooking, the investment reflects a simple idea: food lovers may want a night off from cooking, but still expect dinner to feel special. The new range spans Italian, Indian and South East Asian food, Dine In dishes and vegetable accompaniments.
The new No.1 Italian range features five new dishes built around authentic ingredients, including Italian pasta, 12-month-aged Parmigiano Reggiano, Chianti red wine, Calabrian nduja and fresh herbs. Its slow cooked Beef & Chianti Pappardelle contains brisket cooked for six hours, while the range also includes Nduja & Sausage Ragu Orecchiette and King Prawn & Tomato Linguine.
Waitrose is also launching a new 21-product No.1 Indian and South East Asian Food Lovers’ Takeaway range, spanning mains, sides and snacks. The £18 meal deal allows customers to choose two mains and two sides, serving four.
Developed by chefs drawing on regional expertise, the dishes use traditional techniques to create depth of flavour, including adding spices at different stages of cooking. Customers can choose from dishes including Chicken Chettinad, Prawn Panang, Shanghai Beef, Jewelled Pilau Rice and King Prawn Toast.
Waitrose’s £15 No. 1 Food Lovers’ Dine In for Two, which includes a main, a side and either a starter or dessert, will also be refreshed with new dishes including Chicken Forestier, Breaded Somerset Camembert and Ultimate Apple Crumble. Customer favourites including Fish Pie, Beef Bourguignon and Wagyu Cottage Pie have been redeveloped using slow cooking and fresh vegetables to deliver rich, rounded flavours.
The same standards extend to sourcing. All chicken meets Better Chicken Commitment standards, beef and lamb are sourced exclusively from British farmers, and the seafood selection includes MSC-certified fish and responsibly sourced prawns.
In tandem with these new launches, Waitrose has also refined its existing Indian ready meals. These recipes have been enhanced with increased protein and a move toward simpler, cleaner ingredients. The range now exclusively uses only natural colourants, such as paprika and saffron, to deliver authentic and exceptional flavour as part of our ongoing commitment to quality.
Charlotte Di Cello, chief commercial officer at Waitrose, said: “Customers shop with us because they trust our commitment to taste, however they choose to dine. A night off from cooking shouldn’t mean compromising on quality and taste.
“This investment is a step-change in our fresh ready meals, with authentic ingredients and cooking methods, new recipes and the flavours that make dinner at home feel special.”
