This comes ready to eat. Box is cardboard with no additional plastic packaging which I was so pleased to discover. You can heat it up for a few mins if you prefer, but I was hungry & didn’t have the patience so just had mine straight from the pack. It tasted so wholesome & nourishing, it’s on the expensive side for me, but other than that I highly recommend. It’s full of veg, different kinds of nuts, a creamy texture to the filling alongside the chunky, crunchy-ness & pastry was very very thin which I liked. It was crispy but didn’t make the roast too heavy. It’s recommended serving is for 2 people, but I found the whole thing the right amount for me as I ate it by itself. It’s a great lazy meal.