In the United Kingdom, a meal deal is a sales promotion which consists of three items, a main (often a

sandwich A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a po ...

), a

drink A drink or beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. Common types of drinks include plain drinking water, milk, juice, smoothies a ...

, and a snack (commonly crisps). Meal deals are primarily eaten at lunchtime, and more than a third of Britons buy one at least once per week. Meal deals are sold by a variety of retailers such as supermarkets, convenience stores, cafés and bakery chains. Many retailers offer a selection of types of mains, such as pasta salads, sushi, and

wraps A wrap is a food dish made with a soft flatbread rolled around a filling. The usual flatbreads are wheat tortillas, lavash, or pita; the filling may include cold sliced meat, poultry, or fish, shredded lettuce, diced tomato or pico de gallo, g ...

which tend to come in a variety of toppings or fillings. Supermarkets generally offer the widest variety of meal deals, with Sainsbury's offering over 500 products in their range, and

Tesco Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest in th ...

offering over 10million possible combinations. They tend to be served cold in supermarkets, but some cafés such as Costa offer hot options. Snacks offered by many retailers also include sausage rolls, pork pies, and fresh fruit. Meal deals vary in price depending on retailer, with most costing a set price between £3 and £5. As of 2022, the average price of a meal deal (from retailers across the market) is £4.12, up from £3.91 in 2020. The price saving offered by a meal deal compared to purchasing the three items separately, can be over 50%. In 2019, a court ruled that a "free" bottle of wine included in a

Marks & Spencer Marks and Spencer Group plc (commonly abbreviated to M&S and colloquially known as Marks's or Marks & Sparks) is a major British multinational retailer with headquarters in Paddington, London that specialises in selling clothing, beauty, home ...

meal deal costing £12 is not free for the purpose of calculating alcohol duties. Pharmacy Boots pioneered the meal deal. The meal deal is regarded as a staple in British culture, with them typically being associated with convenience and value for money, comparable to regular meal sets offered at

cha chaan teng ''Cha chaan teng'' (; "tea restaurant"), often called a Hong Kong-style cafe or diner in English, is a type of restaurant that originated in Hong Kong. Cha chaan teng are commonly found in Hong Kong, Macau, and parts of Guangdong. Due to the w ...

s in Hong Kong. In the United States, the term "meal deal" is used by fast food chains such as Dairy Queen and

Hardee's Hardee's Restaurants LLC is an American fast-food restaurant chain operated by CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. ("CKE") with locations primarily in the Southern and Midwestern United States. The company has evolved through several corporate owne ...

to market their sales promotions combining a main, a drink and

French fries French fries (North American English), chips (British English), finger chips ( Indian English), french-fried potatoes, or simply fries, are '' batonnet'' or ''allumette''-cut deep-fried potatoes of disputed origin from Belgium and France. Th ...

. Sales of shop-bought sandwiches and meal deals declined amidst the

COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom The COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom is a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the United Kingdom, it has resulted in confir ...

, as more people worked from home resulting in fewer people in city centres. Their sales rebounded in early 2022 after the lifting of lockdown restrictions in England and the easing of travel restrictions. Sales of meal deals have grown amidst the

2021–present United Kingdom cost of living crisis The United Kingdom cost-of-living crisis is an ongoing event starting in 2021, in which prices for many essential goods in the United Kingdom began increasing faster than household incomes, resulting in a fall in real incomes. This is caused in ...

, contributing to bakery chain Greggs reporting a growth in sales of nearly 15% as of October 2022. On 27 June 2023, the

Welsh Government The Welsh Government ( cy, Llywodraeth Cymru) is the Welsh devolution, devolved government of Wales. The government consists of ministers and Minister (government), deputy ministers, and also of a Counsel General for Wales, counsel general. Minist ...

announced plans to introduce legislation that would restrict meal deals in Wales involving meals high in fat, sugar and salt. The legislation, designed to tackle instances of

type 2 diabetes Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, is a form of diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. Common symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urination, ...

and

obesity Obesity is a medical condition, sometimes considered a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it may negatively affect health. People are classified as obese when their body mass index (BMI)—a person's we ...

, would be introduced in 2024 and implemented in 2025. Retailers expressed concern in response to the announcement, particularly with high food prices, while charities representing people with eating disorders suggested the plans could have a negative effect on those in recovery.

References

{{Reflist Lunch British cuisine Sales promotion

See also

References