Festive favourites – time to indulge.

Festive favourites

In testing times, the festive season will offer operators a chance to tempt and indulge their customers, Pret in particular having made a name for itself with its comprehensive festive-themed menu.

OLD AND NEW

This year, Pret A Manger’s Christmas menu features festive favourites like its iconic Christmas Lunch Sandwich, Brie & Cranberry Baguette and Pigs in Blankets Hot Roll. Alongside the menu’s popular returns, the brand is also introducing new seasonal classics with a Pret twist – namely, a vegan Beet Wellington Baguette, Hog Roast Macaroni Cheese and Boxing Day Toastie, to name just a few.

The Christmas Lunch Sandwich features generous helpings of British turkey, with port and orange cranberry sauce, herby pork stuffing, baby spinach leaves and a dab of mayonnaise, as well as Pret’s celebrated crispy onions. As always, say the company, 50p from this sandwich will be donated to The Pret Foundation which helps to tackle hunger, poverty and homelessness in the UK.

Their Christmas Lunch Baguette and Brie & Cranberry Baguette are also back giving customers even more festive choices as is their Pigs in Blankets Hot Roll featuring British pork sausages wrapped in streaky bacon, served in a hot crusty roll with a rich layer of caramelised onion chutney and a dab of mustard mayo.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Pret Christmas without the addition of new festive sweet treats such as the Chocolate Orange Mini Loaf - a rich chocolate orange sponge with milk chocolate chunks and finished with a chocolate orange buttercream, milk chocolate curls and pieces of candied orange peel, as well as new additions in the hot section (namely a meatier Boxing Day Toastie made with mature Cheddar cheese, British turkey, pulled British ham, and their herby pork stuffing, finished with a dollop of caramelised onion chutney and sage mayo and then toasted, say the company).

The line-up also includes an all-new Hog Roast Macaroni Cheese (which also donates 50p from each one sold to The Pret Foundation), baked throughout the day with layers of Tubetti Rigati pasta in extra mature Cheddar béchamel sauce, pulled British ham, caramelised onion chutney and parsley, then finished with a sprinkling of panko breadcrumbs, a drizzle of olive and rapeseed oil and Italian matured cheese.

“Christmas is a very exciting time for us as we look to develop new and exciting products, we know our customers will love. We spend months researching trends, flavour profiles and working with our suppliers to get the best and freshest ingredients to help give Pret the Christmas food edge,” says Katherine Bagshawe, UK food & coffee director at Pret.

“We’re excited to bring even more extra special recipes to Pret fans this Christmas - our menu is more generous and more festive than ever before with something for everyone to enjoy throughout the day. It wouldn’t be Christmas without our famous Christmas Lunch Sandwich and some innovative new products. We can’t wait to see everyone’s reactions once they try the menu.”

PLANT-BASED, FLEXI AND VEGGIE

Pret’s devoted plant-based, flexi or veggie customers are also catered for via a new vegan sandwich in the form of their Festive Falafel & Squash, made with herby butternut squash topped with Pret’s sweet potato falafel, Christmas pesto, pickled cabbage and carrot, cranberry sauce and vegan sage mayo, rocket and crispy onions.

Pret is also introducing a vegan-friendly twist on a festive classic, the Beet Wellington Baguette, with slices of maple and mustard roasted beetroot on a bed of truffle flavoured mushroom pâté, Christmas pesto and vegan sage mayo, alongside rocket and crispy onions, perfect for anyone looking to indulge.

For those wanting a hot drink in the cold weather, there will be three new seasonal hot drinks – all of which are included on Pret’s Coffee Subscription allowing for five baristamade drinks a day with the first month half price for new subscribers (£12.50).

HOT DRINKS

Returning to the menu is the Gingerbread Latte, made with sweet and spiced gingerbread syrup, a shot of espresso, steamed milk, whipped cream and cinnamon. It will be joined alongside the new Praline Latte, Pret’s classic latte with a rich praline flavoured syrup topped with whipped cream and a dusting of chocolate powder, and the new Macaroon hot chocolate which uses Pret’s organic hot chocolate with a sweet macaroon flavoured syrup and is then topped with whipped cream (any Pret Coffee Subscriber can also spread the festive spirit with one free hot drink redemption per week for a nonsubscriber friend or family member from the 15 November while supplies last).

All seasonal options will be available in Pret shops nationwide from 2nd November until the end of December, while supply lasts and will be available to purchase for delivery through Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat. Pret’s beloved Christmas Lunch Sandwich will be exclusively available on Deliveroo.

STRESS-FREE HOT DRINKS

Over the festive period, food to go operators can turn a great profit from speciality coffees and hot drinks in particular, but to keep the pounds rolling in it is important to look after the coffee machine, which is likely to be one of your biggest investments.

“We know that around 60% of coffee machine breakdowns are caused by poorly maintained equipment. So, whether you have a traditional or bean to cup model, it is vital to adopt regular cleaning and maintenance checks. Not only will this discipline help minimise the risk of machine breakdowns, but it will also help deliver quality beverages too,” says Daniel Clarke, commercial director, La Cimbali.

“We recommend daily cleaning for traditional machines with regular deep cleans using specialist cleaning products. For bean to cup models, regular short machine washes through the working day e.g., every 30 minutes in sites with high footfall, and three times a day as a minimum, work well. A full wash at the end of the working day typically takes ten minutes and provides the additional ‘deep clean’ needed for best practice.

“We encourage baristas to adopt the mantra ‘purge/steam/clean/purge’, constantly flushing the system through to remove condensation and milk, whilst wiping the steam arm with a sanitised cloth and this is an excellent habit to get into. At the end of the day, the nozzle should also be unscrewed from the steam arm and soaked in warm water for optimum hygiene and cleanliness.

“If you are not on a maintenance contract with your machine supplier, then don’t leave it too late to check if your beverage equipment is due for a service. With the additional costs associated with emergency call outs, plus the potential loss in revenue, the last thing you need is for your machine to break down at the busiest and most lucrative time of the year!”

TRAINING

If you are taking on extra staff to cope with increased trade over the festivities, then it is a good idea to invest in some barista training for new and existing staff to maximise the workflow and ensure standards are high, La Cimbali also advise. Understanding the key features of the machine and brushing up on essential barista skills can help speed up service and maintain the in cup quality which will inevitably pay dividends during busy spells, they point out.

Needless to say, weary shoppers will be looking for a warm and welcoming environment in which to enjoy their coffee break, so tempt them in with themed window and interior displays, and by switching up the menu with seasonal recipes.

“Get creative by updating the classics, using the flavours of the season - eggnog, chestnut, or ginger. Opt for something new or trend-led such as chocolate orange, winter spice or mulled fruits. Or why not develop a limited edition hot chocolate menu using the many different plant milks, artisan chocolates and flavour pairings available? The options are almost endless, the only limit is your imagination!” says Daniel Clarke.

“If investing in new equipment, look out for a machine brand with more sophisticated milk management systems which can cater for both plant and dairy milks. For example, La Cimbali offer a range of technologies across the range to help create perfectly foamed milk every time at a consistent quality for latte art. This certainly takes the pressure off the barista team, particularly when there are queues at the till.

“Christmas is also a time of year when many folks think about how they can give something back to the local community. Supporting a local charity, school or group is a great way to reach out and show commitment to the community which in turn may reap rewards for your business, not least additional footfall, increased sales and a feel-good factor amongst staff.”