Pret A Manger

Had the granola and raspberry yoghurt with the salmon sushi. Not bad at all.

It’s a funny one really. Yes, it’s a chain. Yes, there food may not be made on the premises, but still it’s fresh and it somehow feels unfair to say that the food is just average. Show stopping it is not, but the quality is there and you can’t help but feel that somebody somewhere has sat down and actually thought about what they offer in there shops.
I actually fell out with Pret about four or five Christmases ago. It was a cold December, real cold and the skies were rip for snow but it just wouldn’t come. On that particular day we had a surprise, a surprise i’ll never forget. It was a normal afternoon in the city, Christmas lights winking at passerby, children dancing around the majestic town tree, then suddenly, out of nowhere the wind picked up and hail stones the size of a babies fist started pelting down.
Drenched, cold and after my weather beating, I headed over to Pret for a warming miso soup only to find it tasted like strange hot water and seaweed, and not the normal tasty salty goodness I accustomed to. After enquiring I was advised that apparently the fish paste had been removed at the request of the vegetarian. I have nothing against veggies but… thanks for that, the miso at Pret then and now tastes like crap!

The posh cheese and pickle baguette — YUM!
The chicken salad — YUM!
The salmon sandwich — YUM!
The hoisin duck wrap — YUM!
The tuna and cucumber bloomer — YUM!
Ok, I could go on for a while so I’ll just say it — I love Pret!
I completely understand what Lizzie means, it’s a guilty love. It’s one of those places you shouldn’t like so much and should turn your nose up to as chain manufactured rubbish. But it’s tasty, it’s cheap and it’s easy — they’re frickin’ everywhere!
I try not to visit too often, I avoid bread like the plague and so for me a Pret sarnie is a real treat — I’d have to say my ultimate fave is the cheese and pickle baguette, mmm…

I hate that I love Pret, I hate it with every bit of me. That however, does not stop me going here a few times every week. Personal faves happen to be the breadless sarnies — fab if you’re on a diet as they are both tasty, filling (god I’m starting to sound like an advert already!) and quite good value for money.
Today my world changed when I discovered their Chili Soup. Thank you for helping get through the day with the hot pot of spicy meat magic. I’m a happy lady with a tummy full of serious comfort food.
I’m starting to have a fixation on this place. It’s what I look forward to at lunch. It’s a chain, I feel dirty just writing this. Dirty and naughty.

For the past few months, I’ve been getting my morning coffee and my Danish pastry from this location near Smithfield Market. What I like about this particular store, is that I almost never have to wait… the staff is super-​efficient and yet still friendly at the same time. The only thing that bugs me is that while the same staff has been serving me for the past few weeks every morning, I don’t see any sign of recognition on their faces. In fact, I sometimes feel like in the movie «Groundhog Day» where Bill Murray relives the same interactions day after day, without the people being involved actually having any recollections of them… but hey, this is Pret, what can you expect, right?
By the way, I can highly recommend their Mediterranean Salad… it’s my personal favourite!
Ah…before I forget: they have free wifi!!! (Sort of… you have to register with Cloud Network.)

I can’t lie… I’m a Pret A Holic.
If nothing more than to cash in on my many many many check-​ins I’ve been missing from not reviewing this highly visited spot on Unilocal,it’s about time that I admit my love.
Not only do they serve fresh, healthy, delicious food (I’m a sucker for their new non-​fat yogurt pot with shaves of apple and almonds) but their coffee is much better than the other big name chains and far cheaper. Plus, who doesn’t love a good sando?
As a kicker, they have an incredible visual marketing team that creates the cutest in-​store graphics! Seriously… the sheep made out of cauliflower and an olive? Or how about the cheese version of Stonehenge? (see samples here:
)
Bravo Pret, you’ve got this indie-​loving hippy-​rooted tree-​hugger giving 4-​stars to a mega chain. Just don’t change your marketing graphics or that yogurt pot anytime soon and we’ll be golden. I’ll be checking in soon…