Pret to pilot stores in petrol stations after signing partnership with MFG

It will initially trial one shop in the MFG owned and BP branded station in Southgate, London, with a view to opening a second by the end of 2022.

Like the high street stores, the Southgate shop will serve a menu of freshly-prepared food and organic coffee and teas, all prepared in Pret’s onsite kitchens throughout the day.

The partnership with MFG marks another stage in Pret's drive to expand its reach beyond the high street.

Earlier this month it was reported that the group would also be opening four new shops in Tesco supermarkets​​.

It follows the launch of Pret’s first ever supermarket range earlier this year, with bake-at-home frozen croissants and granolas available in up to 700 Tesco stores across the country.

The group has also partnered with Moto, which will allow the company to expand their motorway service estate to three shops in the UK. The first shop at Cherwell Valley opened in December 2020, followed by a second shop at Moto’s brand-new Rugby service that opened last month.

“We are delighted to have partnered with Motor Fuel Group so that more people can access Pret’s freshly made food and organic coffee when they are on the move," says Clare Clough, UK managing director of Pret A Manger

"Since the start of the pandemic, we have looked for innovative ways to bring Pret to more people, and partnerships, such as this one, are an important part of this strategy. We hope that customers will enjoy this new concept and we look forward to working more closely with the MFG team in the coming months.”

Pret has become somewhat symbolic of the financial pain suffered by high-street operators as a result of the Coronavirus crises.

Last summer the chain said the impact of the pandemic had set sales back 10 years, with trade across its 367 high street sites down 60% year on year.

The group has so far been forced to close 36 of its sites, with more than 3,000 employees made redundant.