Pret’s Mission is one that dedicated customers (like myself) can quote from memory: ‘to create handmade natural food avoiding obscure chemicals and preservatives’. This has Mission has consequences, says CEO Clive Schlee in his blog.
Natural food deteriorates fast, and cannot easily be transported from factories. Therefore it has to be prepared in our shops (even though many would say this is a cost worth cutting). Food that isn’t packed with preservatives will not keep overnight – so Pret has distributed its unsold food to the homeless since 1986. ‘This sense of purpose’ says Schlee ‘means that our sandwiches and salads are fresher than those sold by most chains because they last a few hours and not a few days. It also means that our teams feel that Pret stands for something and they are proud of our efforts to help alleviate homelessness.’
Read more: Pret CEO blog