Pret A Manger to give second pay rise this year.

Pret A Manger has announced it will be investing an additional £10 million in staff pay, further supporting its UK workforce in the wake of the rising cost of living.

From 1 December 2022, all UK employees across shops and its support centre will receive a 5% pay increase. This means that 8,600 shop staff (defined as weekly paid employees - team members, hot chefs and baristas - alongside shop general managers and assistant managers) will see an average baseline pay increase of 13% within a year, which is currently above inflation.

This will be the second consecutive year that Pret has given two pay increases in the same year and will take the total Pret has invested in pay in 2022 to almost £20 million. This makes it the company’s biggest pay investment in its 36-year history, in recognition of the hard work and commitment of its people.

Guy Meakin, interim managing director at Pret A Manger UK & Ireland said: “Our people have always been at the heart of our business. All over the country, our shop teams work around the clock to make Pret a place people love.

“With the rising cost of living putting increased pressure on our people, we wanted to do more to support them, and to say thank you for continuing to go above and beyond for our customers.

“This will be the second year in a row we will have introduced a second pay rise in the same year for our employees, and we’re proud to be leading the industry on barista pay. We aspire to always be a top employer, with all our employees earning well above the National Minimum Wage irrespective of age.

“We hope this further investment alongside staff discounts and free food and drink while working, will go some way in helping our teams through the winter months and beyond.”

The 5% pay increase will be applied to shop employees irrespective of age, say Pret, although some differences may apply depending on role, experience and location.

10 Acre relaunch with all new range

East Anglian-based crisp producers, 10 Acre, are relaunching into retail with a new range of carbon neutral, hand-cooked, HFSS compliant, vegan and gluten-free crisps which don’t compromise on flavour, claim the company.

Using potatoes grown on their farm and fried on site for incredibly low food miles, the new range will launch with five varieties - Cheese & Onion, Fried Chicken, BBQ Beef, Sea Salt and Cheesy Chilli - all of which will be available in both sharing and single serve formats (sharing bag: 135g, RRP: £2.30. Single serve: 35g, RRP: 90p). The range is free from all major allergens and contains 30% less fat when compared to traditional fried crisp brands – but still with a a taste consumers know and love, say 10 Acre. Especially developed to meet the demands of the current retail environment, as a nonHFSS range, 10 Acre can be promoted in store without restrictions.

Robert Strathern, co-owner of Fairfields Farm Produce – which makes the 10 Acre brand – said: “We’re incredibly proud to launch 10 Acre’s new range into the market. We’re never ones to shy away from a challenge, so when the new HFSS legislation was announced, everyone thought it would be impossible to have a fried crisp that would not compromise on flavour, yet here we are. The new 10 Acre branding gives a subtle nod to nature and sustainability, with handillustrated graphics across the range, marking our commitment to being carbon neutral and running the farm for the benefit of the future, not just for now.”

The range’s packaging brings the new look 10 Acre to life, incorporating vibrant colours and a modern, uncomplicated look that puts the brand and its credentials front and centre. At a glance, consumers can see the range is vegan and gluten free, but also that the company has prioritised sustainability as a key selling point at relaunch. Alongside illustrations of wildlife from around the 10 Acre farm by artist Susan Burghart, the brand is putting its carbon neutral credentials firmly on show, as demand for eco-friendly products continues to rise. 10 Acre’s NPD incorporates their research insight which showed that 80% of consumers who are already meat-reducing still love the taste of meat, which is why their range features innovation in their vegan Fried Chicken and BBQ Beef flavours, say the company. Flavours like these enable the brand to truly target the growing plantbased crisp audience, which has been overlooked to date, they feel.