Ready meals. Love them or hate them they have become a staple of our food culture here in the west. Pre-prepared meals, often simply shortened to prepared meals, provide exactly what you would expect. An entire meal ready to go. Often requiring only a brief warming up in a microwave or oven.
This industry is by no means a new one. Prepared meals as we know them first took shape around the time of the Second World War. From a necessity to provide nutritious and sustainable meals to the troops in the front. But since then the industry has evolved. Now, in the digital age, it has become worth nearly $23.8 Billion dollars. So how did the prepared industry become so big?
The Age Of Television
While prepared meals took form during the WW2, it wasn’t until the 50’s in America that we really saw them hit the commercial scene. It was in 1953 that the first Swanson ‘TV Dinner’ hit store shelves. By 1954 Swanson had sold over 10 million TV Dinners. And the numbers kept going up year to year.
The golden age of TV was the perfect time for prepared meals to hit the market. Back then TV was new and exciting. Spending time with your family around the TV was considered the stylish thing to do. TV Dinners allowed families to not miss a single moment of their favorite shows.
The Age Of Delivery
Food delivery isn’t anything new. But you might be surprised to learn that the first ever instance of takeaway delivery was in 1995. And this was a complete game changer for the prepared meals industry. Suddenly people could have their favorite restaurant foods brought to their door. The age of TV Dinner was replaced by the age of Pizza delivery.
The restaurant delivery industry did take a while to properly get going. Due mainly in part to the fact that delivery drivers often had to provide their own mode of transportation. Unless working for one of the bigger brands like Pizza Hut. And most people weren’t too attracted to the idea of wearing their car out for minimum wage.
But, as it has always done, the automotive industry began to catch up. Insurance rates dropped. Cars became more fuel efficient and affordable. And now that GMC car covers are available everywhere in the United States, people are far less worried about their cars becoming damaged while delivering food.
As we moved further into the digital age we saw the meteoric rise of delivery apps like Deliveroo and UberEats. Suddenly every restaurant had access to a delivery service without having to hire their own staff. These apps were hugely successful. Again, boosted by the fact that most people had access to a car or bike. And, for the last decade or so, delivery apps have been the king.
Delivery Fatigue
But over the last few years we have seen a shift in people’s habits. As a society we are becoming exhausted with the delivery apps. There are too many of them all vying for your custom. Prices are going up and tipping culture is making it too expensive to enjoy a takeaway. People are turning back towards the idea of a healthy home cooked meal. But, sadly, most people lack the time or money to make that happen.
And this is where we see the return of the prepared meals industry. Companies like Huel, Gusto, Blue Apron, and Simply Cook emerged. These companies took the original idea Swanson popularized in the 50’s and improved upon it in so many ways.
Now the focus was on providing customers with fresh ingredients and simple recipes to utilize them. Offering customers the ability to pick and choose what food they want and find recipes that fit into their schedules. Anyone who has used these services will attest to how convenient they are.
Meal Prepping
The type of prepared meals Swanson provided still exist. But many companies have strived to make them healthier. PrepUK is a prime example of this. The meals they provide are extremely healthy and varied. They require little to no work on the customers part either. In our fast paced digital world, where we are more health conscious than ever before, companies like this are thriving.
Say what you want about the original Swanson TV Dinners. But it is undeniable that they forever changed the food industry. So much of our modern food culture in the west can be tied back to that fateful day in 1953.
