The chain said the decision to close the specialist shops was driven by the fact that “more of our customers are choosing veggie options but may not see themselves as full-time vegetarians.”

High-street sandwich chain Pret A Manger has decided to close a majority of its vegetarian and vegan cuisine-only stores as demand for the spin-off wanes.

Only two Veggie Prets will continue to run in two locations in London, in Shoreditch and in Soho, where the first site opened. At its peak , the chain, which has 400 outlets across the UK, had ten veggie branches.

Two other Veggie Prets in Exmouth Market in London and Manchester’s Deansgate will be monitored on their demand in the area.

Explaining the decision to close the veggie branches, a Pret spokesman explained that since vegetarian options were now “widely available” at all its stores, customers had less reason to seek out the specialist shops.

“Over half our menu is vegetarian or vegan, with meat-free and vegan options accounting for one in three of our main meal sales,” the chain said.

Are people falling off the vegan bandwagon?

The vegan wave was at an all-time high in 2020 as  more and more people in the UK sought plant-based options

According to The Vegan Society, the number of vegans quadrupled between 2014 and 2019. Around 600,000 people are currently believed to be on a plant-based diet.

 However, reports suggests the growth is slacking. According to Mintel food and drink analyst Alice Pilkington: “The impressive growth enjoyed by meat substitutes has faltered in 2022, as the Covid boost has been lost and the income squeeze has made the higher price of these products more of a barrier.” 

While Pret is rolling back its veggie stores, it will continue to grow its vegetarian and vegan options in every store and will use the specialist  veggie branches as “innovation hubs” to trial new recipes.

“More of our customers are choosing veggie options but may not see themselves as full-time vegetarians, so all our shops will continue to offer a majority meat-free and vegan menu and our remaining Veggie Prets will continue to develop new vegan and vegetarian options to be rolled out to our classic Prets,” the store explained. 

• Read: Paris chef offers vegan foie gras alternative as bird flu dents supplies of the traditional Christmas delicacy

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Mohsina Dodhiya

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