Pret will launch its first ever “meal deal” on Tuesday September 16 and the price will vary between £6 and £7, the Standard can reveal.
The high street coffee shop and cafe has resisted offering a meal deal until now but has relented in a bid to grow the brand and better compete with competition from supermarkets.
Pret announced its intentions to run a trial in stores during a company update on Monday but stopped short of saying how much it would cost or when it would be made available.
A spokeswoman told the Standard that the lunch offering will include “any bread-based sandwich, crisps, and a drink” and will cost between £6 and £7 as part of a testing period.
As well as lunch, a morning deal will allow diners to combine a coffee and croissant for £5, though the spokeswoman didn’t say how long the trial will go on for.
In January Pret launched a meal deal in France, which the chain said it “performing well”.
Pano Christou, Pret’s CEO, said: “Going forward our priority will be to drive transactions and sustainable growth by offering great value for money for Pret customers.”
The move comes after the value of the chain was slashed by a third amid “intense strains” on the hospitality industry.
Meal deals have long been a favourite lunch time option in the UK, with many major high streets offering their own versions.
Tesco recently upped the price of its offer by 25 per cent and it now costs £3.85 with a clubcard or £4.25 without. A premium version comes in at £6.
At Waitrose, a “food to go” meal deal is about £5, while Co-op and Sainsbury’s have sandwich deals for around £3.50.
Pret will trial its meal deal in around 70 stores across the UK from Tuesday.
