The rise of the ‘mercaurantes’. Mercadona’s ready-to-eat range reaches almost every Spanish supermarket

Mercadona’s ‘Ready to eat’ range has expanded to almost all of the supermarket chain’s Spanish stores and continues to grow, offering customers all their favourites without needing to pick up a single pan and zero washing up.

A €700m convenience operation

According to recent figures, the ‘Ready to eat’ selection is now active in 1,490 of Mercadona’s 1,600 supermarkets in Spain. Hot prepared meals generated around €700 million in revenue during 2025, and when including chilled and packaged convenience items like hummus and gazpacho, the wider ready-to-eat category reaches approximately €3 billion. Business newspaper Cinco Dias revealed that Mercadona is dedicating more shelf space to fresh and ready-to-eat food in its newer store layouts following 20 per cent annual growth in the segment.

Spanish favourites and some international options

The selection heavily focuses on traditional Spanish dishes, including paella, tortilla, lentils, meatballs with potatoes, macaroni bolognese, stuffed aubergine, roast chicken, serranito pork sandwiches and seafood Russian salad. The counters also stock some international flavours such as salmon poke, pasta salads, sushi, pizza, and Angus burgers.

Why are prepared meals doing so well

Ignacio Garcia Magarzo, director general of Spanish supermarket association Asedas, puts the surge down to to shoppers placing higher value on free time. Research from McKinsey and EuroCommerce shows ready-to-eat sections are outstripping traditional grocery growth, with 40 per cent of Gen Z and millennial shoppers, and 13 per cent of over-65s buying prepared meals weekly. Industry data indicates prepared convenience food now reaches 99.25 per cent of all Spanish households.

The rise of ‘mercaurantes’

To accommodate the demand, select stores now feature dedicated seating areas and microwave heating stations. Dubbed ‘mercaurantes’, these spaces give people a quick a lower-cost alternative to a traditional menu del dia, the budget 3 course lunch offered at many traditional Spanish eateries.

Not everyone is happy about it however, the rapid expansion has drawn criticism from the hospitality sector. The Gremio de Restauración de Barcelona has accused supermarket chains of unfair intrusion, arguing that retail giants are stepping directly onto restaurant turf.

So do you use the mercaurantes?