Shoppers outraged by 'absolutely insane' price of new Charlie Bigham's ready meals

A new series of ready meals has sparked controversy after people were left gobsmacked by the price.

Ready meals can be a very convenient thing if you don't have the time or energy to cook after a long day, and are normally priced on the more affordable side.

But now company Charlie Bigham's, which is already known for being the slightly fancier ready meal option in the UK, is trying to break out of that association with a new more expensive range.

The new range includes premium dishes which are priced significantly higher than what someone might normally expect to pay for a ready meal.

And so far the reaction to the new range has been one of shock at just how much the company is charging.

The Beef Wellington, which costs £29.95 (Charlie Bigham's)

The most expensive meal available on the new range is a Beef Wellington, which is priced at £29.95.

And many people have been left gobsmacked by someone charging that much for a ready meal - a very fancy one that serves two, for sure, but still a ready meal.

Not all the new range is as expensive, with a salmon wellington coming in at £19.95, then a coq au vin, duck confit, and venison bourguignon all £16.95.

But why has Charlie Bigham's decided to release such an upmarket range of ready meals?

In a statement, Charlie Bigham - the titular founder behind the brand - explained that the range aimed to offer an alternative to dining out, which has become increasingly expensive.

"Dining out has got more expensive - we love eating in restaurants but you look at the bill at the end of the night now and you think ‘ooh, this has gone up’," he said.

He added: "And that’s not to criticise our wonderful hospitality industry at all. Their costs keep going up."

Nonetheless, many people were still in disbelief at the high prices, and some took to social media to share their disbelief.

One wrote: "£30 for a ready meal is absolutely insane. Are we as a society now so antisocial for there to be a market for this?"

Charlie Bigham's makes more upmarket ready meals (Charlie Bigham's)

Another said: "£30 for a ready meal!? I'd rather cook," while another posted: "That's bit steep, not a working man's lunch."

One simply said 'f**k that', while someone else pointed out that higher living costs make the idea of doing a new range of expensive ready meals perhaps not the tactful idea, writing: "Read the room bro."

Defending the price, Bigham explained that the cost of a takeaway could easily be comparable to one of the new range.

He said: “If you think about it, you get a pizza for two delivered for £16. And these are not just eaten by rich people in certain London postcodes.”

A spokesperson for Charlie Bigham's told FOODBible: "Our Brasserie range is a collection of restaurant-quality dishes, handcrafted using only the finest restaurant-quality ingredients and the price is reflective of that."