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Pret A Manger has launched a new range of "premium" salads costing up to £13, which the company says have been "priced competitively".
The four new "Super Plates" - including options like chipotle chicken and miso salmon - are said to be "nearly 60%" larger than the chain's existing salads and are filled with "premium ingredients" including "hand massaged" kale.
Defending the higher price point, a Pret spokesperson told the BBC the new range was launched to meet growing demand for "larger, nutrient-rich lunch options".
Pret's new offering comes after the chain faced backlash last year for making changes to its popular subscription model.
Pret was criticised by customers when it changed its subscription offer of up to five coffees a day for a monthly fee of £30 to up to five half-price coffees a day for £10 a month.
It also ended its 20% discount on food, saying it had "never really got comfortable" with the dual pricing system across its food products as it announced it was scrapping the offer.
The most expensive of Pret's new range of salads is the miso salmon with a price tag of £12.95. The company said the range had been launched in order to "reflect a shift in customer habits".
Like many companies that cater to office workers and commuters, Pret took a hit during the Covid pandemic when the majority of Britons were ordered to work from home if they could.
Many employees who have spent the last few years working from home are now being encouraged, or mandated by their employers, to return to the office - a move which has seen the lunchtime market become fiercely competitive again.
Pret said the use of more premium ingredients "reflects the growing trend of workers treating themselves to a more filling lunch the days they are in the office".
Among Pret's biggest competitors is the bakery chain Greggs. The bakery was ranked as the most popular dining brand in the UK in 2025 and the second strongest brand of 2024, according to data platform Statista.
Other competitors include the likes of Atis, Farmer J and Salad Project which already focus their menus on "premium" salads and lunches aimed at inner-city workers.
The new Pret salads are available in over 250 shops in large cities such as London, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Manchester.
