The adage "convenience is king" has never been more accurate. As shoppers seek to reclaim their time, speeding up dinner prep has become a priority. This shift is clearly reflected in recent growth statistics: the convenience category for red meat, including ready meals like lasagnes, is experiencing some of the strongest growth in the meat case in recent years (NIQ, 2024).
The surge in demand for value-added, heat-and-eat, and pre-cooked meals is evident on the shelf with retailers expanding their butcher counters to include convenient meal options. For larger organisations, they invest heavily in understanding consumer preferences, research flavour trends, and test various options before finalizing their offerings. This process can take over a year, whereas butchers can often have a range of options ready to go in just a few days or weeks, delivering fresher, high-quality products.
What Does This Mean for Butchers?
For butchers, this trend presents a significant opportunity. Offering ready-to-eat meals and specialty products such as pre-cooked, marinated meats, pastries, roasts, and deli items, can diversify your revenue streams and enhance the value of lower-priced cuts.
Popular cuts like ribs, shanks, and brisket are now staples in supermarket meal solutions, catering to customers with limited cooking skills or busy schedules. Butchers can offer these products fresher and more quickly, often updating selections weekly to stay on point with changing tastes and trends, as well as customer feedback.
Pre-cooked or fresh ready-to-cook products open up exploration of trending flavours and formats such as pastries – pies, empanadas, tuckerbags, strudels, and pinwheels.
Steps to Take
- Research food and flavour trends: stay updated on current trends to align your offerings with consumer preferences.
- Identify suitable flavours and cuisines: match your products to the tastes and demographics of your customers.
- Explore butcher socials: see what other butchers are doing for inspiration and ideas.
- Experiment with cooking techniques: learn about different methods, from pastry-making to meal prep.
- Test and trial new products: introduce and refine new offerings based on customer feedback.
- Promote and launch new lines: market your new products effectively to attract attention and drive sales.
By leveraging your expertise, showcasing your craftsmanship, and utilizing cuts creatively, you can build stronger connections with customers who value both quality and convenience. In a competitive market, offering these value-added options can differentiate your shop, making it a go-to destination for high-quality, ready-to-enjoy meals.