Longer days, rising temperatures, and busy itineraries mark the summer season, bringing with them a surge in travel, outdoor events, and lifestyle shifts. Tourists and locals alike are opting for quick, affordable food options that fit seamlessly into their dynamic routines. At the center of this seasonal shift? Ready meals in plastic trays: versatile, portable, and increasingly popular among consumers who want to maximize time and minimize effort.
Summer-Driven Demand: Why This Season Matters
Summer amplifies the demand for ready meals in ways that are both predictable and powerful:
- Tourist Behavior: Studies show tourists favor quick, inexpensive meals that let them spend less time waiting and more time exploring. Ready meals in trays are a perfect fit. From the refrigerator to the oven or microwave, and they have a hot meal in a matter of minutes.
- Outdoor Lifestyles: Picnics, road trips, beach days - portable, sealed trays keep food fresh and easy to transport.
- Gen-Z and Millennial Travelers: Younger audiences especially prefer trend-forward, no-fuss options they can grab and go.
- Foodservice Surge: Hotels, convenience stores, and quick-service restaurants experience a seasonal spike in demand during the summer months, making ready meal trays a high-volume solution. To ensure product safety and quality during distribution in high temperatures, many foodservice providers rely on trays that can withstand deep freezing, helping protect temperature-sensitive foods throughout the logistics and transportation chain.
More Than Just Fast Food: Shifting Consumer Expectations
While convenience remains the primary driver behind the popularity of ready meals, today’s consumers also expect more - from higher nutritional value to greater culinary variety and affordability. As a result, ready meals in plastic trays are evolving to reflect these expectations. There is growing demand for clean-label products made with fresh ingredients and balanced nutritional profiles, as well as interest in exploring diverse global cuisines without the need for cooking skills or time. At the same time, ready meals are increasingly seen as a cost-effective alternative to restaurant dining, especially during travel or periods of economic pressure.
Another key requirement is packaging performance: trays must not only be functional and attractive, but also suitable for advanced sterilization processes such as retort. This capability is essential for preserving freshness and extending shelf life, particularly for shelf-stable meals designed for long distribution chains or ambient storage. These evolving demands have turned the plastic tray from a simple container into a critical enabler of safe, diverse, and modern mealtime solutions.
MCP Trays: Designed for Life on the Move
MCP’s CPET trays are engineered to meet the real-life needs of today’s mobile, convenience-driven consumers. The CPET Trays are designed for deep freezing, yet resilient under oven or microwave heating up to 220°C. They maintain mechanical strength and food safety throughout and are ideal for frozen or chilled meals that require re-heating at home, at work, or even in vacation rentals.
On Tray DM is a special formulation that enables to deep freeze the tray and retain its mechanical properties, so it would safely endure transportation while being frozen up to (-40)oC.
All trays are available with custom compartment options, allowing precise portioning and separation of ingredients - satisfying both functional and aesthetic preferences. They are suitable for retort or pasteurisation processes as well.
Sustainability That Goes the Distance
As consumer concern for sustainability grows, MCP offers responsible packaging solutions without compromising convenience: The rCPET tray range contains up to 70% recycled content. Plus, all our trays are fully recyclable, helping to reduce plastic waste and support a circular economy
This makes us a natural partner for brands seeking to align with eco-conscious consumers while maintaining product performance.
Meal Solutions That Move With You
From weekday lunches to vacation dinners, from deep freeze to microwave in minutes – we offer solutions that are designed for a world that never slows down. With built-in convenience, sustainable design, and versatility for both consumers and food brands, MCP is helping redefine ready meals for the fast-paced, flavor-hungry lifestyles of today.