If as I have suggested craft designs are trending because people are seeking a connection with a pre-industrial past, then it might be surprising to find them on something as modern as a ‘ding dinner’.
In the UK we are the undisputed European champions of ready meal consumption, eating more than double the volume of France and Germany and five times that of Italy or Spain. OK, so we like to use the Microwave a lot, but the quality of these highly convenient options is also very high.
According to a leading national newspaper: ‘In the UK the ready-made meal has undergone a change of image, from being deemed as unhealthy, lazy food to being repositioned as a premium, indulgent option.
Here in the UK’s premium supermarket chain Waitrose, this new range of authentic Indian meals and accompaniments manages to capture both indulgence and a sense of authenticity very well. Environmentalists won’t be too pleased to see a 5 metre expanse of black plastic trays (code: authentic Indian ironware), but the consistent use of buff-coloured sleeves, bags and labels with traditional intricate pen drawings is a winning formula.