Sandwich chain Pret A Manger has faced a backlash from customers after charging £7.15 for a baguette at a branch in High Street Kensington station.
The eat-in price tag on the Posh Cheddar and Pickle product has been slammed as a “rip-off” by furious diners.
Several people took to social media site X to vent their frustration.
Leyla Hayes wrote: “They’re taking the p**s. . . . that’s what’s happening.”
Scott Dixon fumed: “I would refuse to pay it. I never have, never will. Everything’s a rip-off in this country.”
Another person joked: “That must be Britain’s worst-value baguette. For that price you could buy enough to make ten of them.”
The sandwich costs £7.15 if customers wish to dine-in - but falls to £5.95 for the takeout option.
Pret A Manger says items cost more in transport hubs due to higher operational costs. Most customers can buy the baguette to take away for £4.99 in non-station outlets, they added.
A spokesperson for the sandwich chain said: “Prices of our products are typically higher at train stations or transport hubs, due to higher operational costs, and like all food-to-go retailers, dine in prices are subject to 20 per cent VAT, as is the case with the price quoted here for our Posh Cheddar Baguette.
“The vast majority (87 per cent) of our sales in the UK are for takeaway, so most customers are not subject to the additional 20 per cent VAT.
“Like all businesses, we are facing intense cost pressures, which we are trying to absorb as much as possible. We continue to offer great value for high-quality, freshly made food and organic coffees, alongside a dedicated value range of sandwiches, Made Simple.
“We also recently doubled the Club Pret discount to help customers save even more, so subscribers now enjoy 20 per cent off everything in shop and up to five barista prepared drinks per day for £30 per month.”
It comes after Pret increased the price of its coffee subscription from £25 to £30 in April.
In September 2020, when Pret launched its subscription service, the monthly fee was £20, which went up to £25 in April 2022.
It was introduced in the teeth of the pandemic as part of Pret’s fight for survival in an attempt to lure customers back into its shops.
