近年來，中國的預制菜市場發展迅速，成為餐飲行業提升效率與控制成本的重要手段。近日，許多熱門餐廳的招牌菜，例如梅菜扣肉、夫妻肺片、烤乳鴿、宮保雞丁等，在批發市場和線上平台的預制菜店鋪中都能輕鬆買到。這些預制菜的批發價格僅需幾元到十幾元，而在餐廳售賣時，價格往往能高達數十元，顯示從工廠到餐桌的價格差異非常明顯，反映出餐飲企業在追求降本增效的過程中，預制菜的價值被大幅提升。

以梅菜扣肉為例，一家專注酒店菜的食品企業將其作為核心產品，批發價約17元，而合作的北京餐廳門店售價高達58元。該企業表示，梅菜扣肉是其「酒店菜」的拳頭產品，只需加熱或蒸煮即可上桌，非常方便。他們擁有超過十條預制菜生產線，部分爆款單品的年度銷售額甚至突破億元。這類企業通常由傳統食品廠逐步發展而來，通過規模化和產業化的運作，最終形成集研發、製造和銷售於一體的綜合性食品公司，合作的餐飲品牌多達三十家，其中不乏知名連鎖餐廳。

隨著市場規模擴大，這些企業也開始注重人才培養和行業布局。例如，在2023年，這家企業成立了專門的預制菜職業學校，面向本地及全球培養專業人才。同年，當地的農業科技園已聚集42家預制菜企業，該企業也成為當地餐飲行業協會的副會長單位。到2024年，其已進入中國餐飲供應鏈預制菜品類TOP榜前50名，顯示其在行業中的領先地位。另一家預制菜龍頭企業也取得類似成就，產品涵蓋海鮮、肉類、麵食等多個品類，並進入國家級及地方烹飪行業協會，合作範圍涵蓋餐飲與新零售市場，例如荔枝蝦球的零售價為260元/箱，每箱包含20袋，每袋10個。

這些規模化預制菜企業不僅提供成品售賣，還形成完整的服務體系，包括研發創新和定制服務。一些企業在全國多地設有研發中心，能根據客戶廚房設備及出餐需求，提供專屬的定制化產品，以滿足不同餐廳或會所的需求。

然而，隨著公眾對預制菜的關注增加，生產端也感受到變化。TOP榜發布詞中指出，從最初所有企業爭相打預制菜標籤，到有企業希望擺脫這一標籤，再到更多企業理性看待，預制菜行業的發展之路仍然漫長而充滿挑戰。批發市場中，一些預制菜店鋪的老闆也表示，自己的菜品「適合定價高一點的餐廳和會所」，這反映出市場正在尋找差異化定位，而不再只是單純追求高產量或低成本。

總體而言，預制菜的「升值之路」既體現了餐飲企業對效率與利潤的追求，也凸顯了行業在品牌、產品質量、研發創新和市場定位方面的持續升級。從工廠到餐桌，預制菜已經不再只是便捷的替代品，而正在成為餐飲市場中重要的經濟與文化現象。

In recent years, China’s pre-made meal (pre-prepared food) market has developed rapidly, becoming an important tool for restaurants to improve efficiency and control costs. many popular restaurant dishes, such as braised pork with preserved vegetables (梅菜扣肉), couple’s lung slices (夫妻肺片), roast pigeon, and Kung Pao chicken, are now easily available at wholesale frozen food markets and online pre-made meal stores. These pre-made dishes are sold at just a few to a dozen yuan wholesale, yet in restaurants, their prices often reach several dozen yuan, highlighting a significant markup from factory to table and reflecting how pre-made meals have been leveraged by restaurants to reduce costs and increase efficiency.

For example, braised pork with preserved vegetables is a flagship product of a food company specializing in hotel cuisine. Its wholesale price is about 17 yuan, while partnered Beijing restaurants sell it for 58 yuan. The company explains that this “hotel dish” only requires heating or steaming before serving, making it very convenient. With over ten production lines, some of its popular products achieve annual sales exceeding 100 million yuan. Like many other pre-made food companies, it evolved from a traditional food factory, gradually industrializing and scaling operations to become a comprehensive enterprise integrating research and development, production, and sales. Its partners include nearly 30 well-known restaurant brands.

As the market expanded, these companies have also invested in talent development and industry infrastructure. In 2023, the same company established a vocational school for pre-made meal production, training professionals locally and internationally. That year, a local agricultural technology park already hosted 42 pre-made meal companies, and the enterprise became vice-chair of the local restaurant industry association. By 2024, it ranked among the top 50 pre-made meal suppliers in China’s restaurant supply chain. Another leading company similarly joined national and regional culinary associations, supplying products from seafood and meats to noodles, with partnerships spanning restaurants and new retail markets. Popular items like lychee shrimp balls retail for 260 yuan per box (20 bags per box, 10 pieces per bag).

These large-scale pre-made meal companies have established a complete service ecosystem, including product sales, R&D, innovation, and customization. Some companies maintain multiple R&D centers nationwide, offering tailored products to meet specific kitchen equipment and serving requirements of restaurants or clubs.

However, as public attention to pre-made meals grows, the production side has also felt pressures and shifts. According to the top supplier rankings, the industry has evolved from companies competing to brand themselves as “pre-made meal providers,” to some wanting to shed the label, and now toward a more rational market perspective. Some shop owners in wholesale markets note that their products are “suitable for higher-end restaurants and clubs,” reflecting a trend toward differentiated positioning rather than simply pursuing high volume or low cost.

Overall, the “value upgrade” of pre-made meals demonstrates how restaurants use them to boost efficiency and profitability while highlighting the industry’s ongoing evolution in branding, product quality, R&D innovation, and market positioning. From factory to table, pre-made meals have moved beyond being merely convenient substitutes—they are becoming a significant economic and cultural phenomenon in China’s food industry.