Pret A Manger thriving on a macaroni diet April 21, 2015 Quinoa and coffee are the order of the day, Clive Schlee tells Jenny Forsyth PRET A Manger boss Clive Schlee is talking quickly and excitedly. Perhaps he’s just feeling upbeat about the British cafe chain’s record yearly figures – showing a total sales rise of 16 per cent to £594m. Or maybe he’s had a [...]
Pret A Manger trials fine dining in a bid to boost evening trade April 8, 2015 PRET A Manger has delighted its devoted customer base by trialling a sit-down service in the evening at one of its London branches. The ubiquitous British sandwich and coffee chain started its trail run at its Strand branch two weeks ago after six months of preparation. The group is looking for ways to maximise revenues [...]
Pret A Manger for dinner? Lunch hotspot tries out evening dining menu in Strand April 8, 2015 The saviour of stomachs across the city come lunchtime is branching out with a Pret A Manger "after dark" concept. Never again need you eat anywhere other than Pret – the chain has begun serving up all the major meals in the form of breakfast, lunch and – now – dinner, with a new evening [...]
Street food in the City? Street Kitchen co-founder Mark Jankel on his locally sourced alternative to Pret February 17, 2015 We were professional chefs and we thought it would be good fun to set up a street food kitchen, just to see how it worked. We did it as a bit of a laugh for two weeks, and loved it so much we decided to pursue it as a business. I left an executive job [...]
New owners Bridgepoint feast on sales surge at Ask and Zizzi February 8, 2015 ZIZZI and Ask Italian enjoyed a 10 per cent jump in sales over the last six months, making for a tasty acquisition by Bridgepoint. The Pret A Manger-owner bought the portfolio of restaurant chains in January from rival private equity firm Cinven for £250m. The sale marked Cinven’s exit from Gondola Group after selling Pizza [...]
Who does the best New year detox lunch? From Leon’s super-healthy vegan quinoa pot to Pod’s “joyless” chicken box January 6, 2015 It’s January again, and your favourite City eateries are flogging super-healthy lunches. We tried them all so you don’t have to… Vital Ingredient Immunity Booster Vital Ingredient Immunity Booster £6.25 Chicken, beetroot, sweetcorn, pomegranate, spinach. Carrot and apple dressing HEALTHINESS: ★★★★☆ TASTINESS: ★☆☆☆☆ Dishes like these give detoxing a bad name. Weird [...]
Greggs on a roll as sales rise 5pc on newproducts December 15, 2014 HOT DRINKS and sandwich chain Greggs yesterday said its strategy of launching new product ranges increased its sales, confirming its status as a growing rival for Pret a Manger, Starbucks and Costa. The bakery chain, which has nearly 1,700 stores, reported that sales grew 5.2 per cent in the six months to 13 December, ahead of [...]
Pret a Manger-owner Bridgepoint to buy Zizzi and Ask for £250m December 1, 2014 Private equity giant Cinven has agreed to sell its portfolio of Ask Italian and Zizzi restaurants to Pret a Manger-owner Bridgepoint for £250m. The deal marks Cinven’s exit from the Gondola Group after it sold both its Pizza Express and Byron restaurant chains over the past 18 months for around £1bn combined. Cinven took the [...]
The best take-away Christmas lunch: From Benugo’s hot roast turkey sandwich to Itsu’s “aggressively disgusting” pot of chicken December 1, 2014 December is upon us and it’s now perfectly acceptable to buy a take-away Christmas lunch – our sandwich committee checked out some of the most popular. Fred’s at Tesco Thanksgiving Sandwich Turkey, vegetable crisps, tomato, lettuce, cucumber, brie ★★★☆☆ Full marks for presentation but zero for practicality; trying to fit this [...]
Playing sport boosts your chances in the City by improving your teamworking skills November 6, 2014 Playing rugby can help to improve your teamwork skills and demonstrate discipline. A huge opportunity is on its way. News that ITV is bumping some of its major shows in favour of rugby World Cup matches next year is an indication of the chance to create a real legacy for the sport. The potential [...]