2025 catering report released: pre-made dishes have a penetration rate of more than 35% and become a growth engine
Recently, the China Catering Industry Association and several research institutions have jointly released the "2025 China Catering Industry Development Trend Report". One of the key data shows that the penetration rate of pre-made dishes in the catering market has exceeded 35%, becoming the core engine to drive industry growth. This data has attracted widespread attention. How can pre-made dishes reshape the catering industry? Where will the future go?
1. Panoramic view of pre-made vegetable market data
According to the report statistics, the size of the pre-made vegetable market is expected to exceed 1.2 trillion yuan in 2025, an increase of 28% year-on-year. Here is a comparison of key data:
| index | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (Forecast) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market size (billion yuan) | 7,500 | 9,400 | 12,000 |
| Penetration rate | twenty two% | 30% | 35% |
| Catering enterprise usage rate | 48% | 65% | 78% |
2. Driver factor analysis
The explosive growth of pre-made dishes is inseparable from the following three core driving forces:
1.Efficiency revolution: The proportion of labor costs in catering enterprises increased from 25% in 2019 to 34% in 2025, and pre-made dishes can reduce the operating time of the kitchen by more than 50%.
2.Changes in consumption habits: The annual growth rate of orders for Generation Z selected "pre-made dish set meals" on the takeaway platform reached 112%, significantly higher than that of traditional dishes.
3.Supply Chain Upgrade: The cold chain distribution efficiency of leading enterprises has been increased by 40%, and the regional warehousing coverage rate has increased from 63% in 2020 to 89% in 2025.
3. Performance of segmented tracks
The market performance of pre-made dishes in different categories is significantly different:
| Category | market share | Annual growth rate | Top brands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese staple food | 32% | 25% | Wei Zhixiang, Anjing |
| Instant hot dishes | 28% | 41% | Guangzhou Restaurant, Hema |
| Conditioning meat products | 19% | 18% | New Hope, Shuanghui |
4. Controversy and Challenge
Despite the rapid growth, the pre-made vegetable industry still faces two major controversies:
1.Food safety anxiety: The 2025 consumer survey showed that 67% of respondents were concerned about additives, an increase of 12 percentage points from 2023.
2.Homogeneous competition: The number of SKUs in the industry increased by 80% year-on-year, but the repeat rate of hot products was as high as 45%, and the problem of weak innovation was highlighted.
5. Future trend prospects
The report predicts that the pre-made vegetable industry will show the following development directions from 2026 to 2030:
-Technology empowerment: The AI formula R&D system is expected to reduce the development cycle of new products by 30%, and the application rate of bio-preservation technology will reach 60%.
-Scene Differentiation: The growth rate of demand for special scenarios such as airline meals and camping food will remain above 40%
-Perfect supervision: The National Standardization Committee plans to issue 12 exclusive standards for pre-made dishes by 2026
It can be predicted that pre-made dishes are evolving from a simple "catering alternative" to a key hub for reconstructing the value chain of the food industry. This table revolution has just begun.
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