Take a look at the ever-growing popularity of ready meal and gourmet frozen meals, and one thing is clear: Today’s busy foodies are hungry for ready-to-eat meals. As many as two-thirds of Canadians (62%) purchased prepared meals at the grocery store in the last three months; of those shoppers, 49% purchased prepared meals on a weekly basis (Mintel, 2022). With stats like those, it’s not hard to see why food companies are honing in on deluxe custom-ready meals to set their grocery brands apart.
Ready meals aren’t just convenient; they’re also a great choice for consumers looking to dial in their nutrition or explore new cuisines at an affordable price point. Ultimately, more and more consumers are looking to cook up a quick, convenient, and fuss-free meal in the comfort of their home without breaking the bank.
Read on to find out how a partner like Giraffe Foods can help you deliver crave-worthy custom ready meals with custom sauces, dips, dressings, drizzles, and marinades.
Delivering Crave-Worthy Custom Ready Meals
Like we mentioned above, ready meals are an opportunity to boost your margins in the grocery sector while still providing value and culinary intrigue for consumers. Especially in tough economic times like these, brands can lean into ready meals to distinguish themselves in a competitive market.
Tapping into Innovation
Social media is a major driver of food trends, especially among Gen Z and Millennial consumers – and if there’s one thing we know about the TikTok generation, it’s that innovation is key. Fortunately, ready-to-eat meals offer a huge opportunity for innovation via custom sauces, dips, dressings, drizzles, and marinades.
Want to offer your customers a ready-to-eat chicken and waffle feast? Try adding a Honey Sriracha or Hot Honey Glaze to get a leg up on the competition. In the savory space, consider tempting shoppers with a harissa honey chicken custom ready meal featuring a Hot Harissa Vinaigrette for a global twist. The same goes for meal kits; take, for example, a classic chicken shawarma kit elevated by a tangy Garlic White Sauce and Tahini Drizzle. These are just a few ways that simple culinary tweaks can take your grocery offerings to new heights. Custom sauces are a cost-effective, delicious way to market your ready meals to shoppers who are always craving something new.
Custom Options to Reduce Food Waste
From single-serve to multi-serve options, ready meals can serve singles, families, and everyone in between without contributing food waste. Luckily, custom sauces go hand-in-hand with these flexible options, with the possibility to incorporate the sauces directly into a dish or as a separate pouch or dip cup. Customizable sauces and dips allow shoppers to personalize their at-home dining experience, reducing waste and enhancing satisfaction. External sauce packaging companies can also work with you to ensure that your ready meals and accompanying sauces are packaged in a way that preserves the integrity of the flavors.
Labels Customers Can Trust
Grocery shoppers want labels they can trust, whether they’re looking for health-conscious ingredients, trying to simplify their diets, or working to avoid allergens. Custom ready meals provide a unique opportunity to meet varying dietary needs, helping to boost customer trust in your brand and product quality. The demand for ready meals that meet health requirements has nowhere to go but up, serving as a significant boosting factor for brands that utilize them, while also presenting an untapped opportunity for those that have yet to incorporate them.
Don’t leave customers guessing. For shoppers with specific dietary restrictions, ready-to-eat meals can be a transparent, delicious alternative to dining out.
Ultimately, custom ready meals are one of the best ways to unleash your brand’s profit potential in a tough market. Not only does a private label, ready-made grocery line allow you to explore trending flavors in a cost-effective way, but also these meals reduce food waste, attract health-conscious customers interested in clean labels, and offer an affordable, irresistible dining option for an entirely new wave of consumers.
Ready to take the next step? Backed by consumer insights and culinary expertise, Giraffe Foods can help you develop innovative, fuss-free meals that resonate with today’s trending tastes and customer preferences.