Pret A Manger unveils £13 supersized salad targeted at hybrid workers who 'want to treat themselves the days they are in the office' - would YOU buy it?
The coffee shop chain, which has almost 500 stores across the UK, says its new range of salmon, chicken and butternut squash dishes have been concocted with its in-house nutritionist to meet growing demand for bigger, healthy lunches.
Some of the dishes contain nearly 50 grams of protein and are, according to Pret, nearly 60 per cent bigger than its existing range of salads.
But the range of leafy greens and beans 'starts from' £9.95 - rising to £12.95 for the top-of-the-range miso salmon salad.
And prices will be even higher depending on location, with airport and train station branches charging more and 20 per cent VAT slapped on if customers want to eat it in-store.
Reaction to the new dishes has been mixed - with much opinion directed at the near-£13 price point and the ingredients, which include chargrilled chickpeas, quinoa and 'hand-massaged kale'. Existing salads retail for around £8.
But Pret - which has weathered the outcry after it scrapped its £30-a-month coffee subscription plan and is now being primed for a potential stock market listing - says it has done its homework and sees the salads as its next big hit.
Briony Raven, its chief customer and product officer, told MailOnline that it was 'perfect' for anyone 'quickly grabbing lunch on the go'.
'This new category is a significant step-change in our lunchtime line-up, which we believe will continue the growth we've seen in our existing salads range,' she added.
A spokesperson added that the price point matched the time it took for workers to put them together, claiming they take longer to prepare than other salads and baguettes.
'We have ensured our new Super Plates are priced competitively within the market for this type of lunchtime offer,' the spokesperson added.
The premium dishes will be available at 250 of Pret's stores across the UK, including major train stations and airports.
But the chain may have its work cut out convincing some that the 'super salads' are for them, judging by reaction on social media.
'I've not even spent £13 on a salad before in Waitrose. Think I'll be giving Pret a miss,' said one user on X.
'£13? Sod that, buy salad from a supermarket and make a week's worth for that,' wrote another.
Another pointed out that £13 is almost £1 more than the minimum wage for adults: the National Living Wage for those aged 21 and over is £12.21 an hour.
The chain has been here before: it was roundly criticised for selling a 'posh' cheddar cheese and pickle baguette for £7.15 at train stations in 2023.
And irate coffee lovers blasted the firm after it ditched its £30-a-month coffee subscription, which gave subscribers up to five free coffees a day.
It had been introduced after the pandemic to entice people back into stores but was suspected to be hugely unprofitable after failing to convince customers to also buy food in store, even with a 20 per cent discount.
The firm ultimately scrapped the all-in subscription in September last year and removed the discount, stating that it 'never got comfortable' with dual pricing.
A smaller number of people took to social media to defend the pricing of the 'premium' product
Pret has weathered similar storms over its pricing before - such as when it priced a cheese and pickle baguette at £7.15 when eaten in one of it stravel stores
It now offers Club Pret as a £5-a-month subscription that gives members up to five half-price barista-prepared drinks such as teas, coffees and smoothies each day.
It is confident that the new salads can capture a corner of the 'premium' lunchtime market amid a long overdue post-pandemic boom in on-the-go food sales brought about by a return to the office.
Sales of ready-to-eat food rose by 13.3 per cent year-on-year to £38.4billion, according to research from analytics firm Kantar published in September 2024.
Salad sales grew the most, by 19.2 per cent - but sandwiches are falling out of favour as workers opt for more adventurous options like sushi.
Experts say the boom is likely down to people returning to the office - with hybrid workers thought to 'treat' themselves on the days they leave the house.
The Grocer reported last year that there is an 'increasing willingness to spend among hybrid workers', with data suggesting they spend more per visit than frequent office workers.
Some early reaction appeared to align with the chain's thinking, with one user noting: 'It's not a cheap lunch but the quality's there. Sometimes you want a proper, filling salad and Pret's nailed the flavours compared to the comp(etition).'
Another added: 'I'd rather go to Pret and eat that for lunch while working on my laptop than pay over the odds... for a meal deal.'
Pret is not the only chain to look into the trend of people seeking bigger lunches.
A poll of 2,000 adults conducted for McDonalds by OnePoll last month found that one in four Brits skip breakfast on a regular basis.
Of those, 13 per cent wait to break their fast do so because they want a bigger lunch, The Sun reported.
Chipotle Chicken (£10.95)
Made with chargrilled chicken and a black bean mole sauce, served with brown rice, quinoa, red pepper and avocado.
Miso Salmon (£12.95)
Pret describes this as being served with 'golden roasted salmon' and togarashi chilli seeds, served alongside avocado, black rice, quinoa, Tenderstem broccoli and edamame beans.
Butternut Mezze (£9.95)
A vegan salad made with 'hand-massaged' kale, roasted butternut squash, aubergine and 'smoky' chickpeas alongside pickled cabbage and carrot, and hummus.
Shawarma Chicken (£10.95)
This Middle Eastern-inspired dish mixes chargrilled chicken with a spiced sauce, chickpeas, 'hand-massaged' kale, red pepper, cucumber sticks and hummus.
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