Pret-flation: Cost of a filter coffee rises 50% in some of its stores as back to office workers are hit by hot drink price hike
- Filter coffee has increased by 50% to £1.50 in some Pret a Manger stores
- A flat white is up 15% along with a rise in a number of other hot drinks
- It comes after Pret’s subscription cost increased from £20 to £25 a month
- Pret said: ‘We feel that we are still competitively priced’ despite substantial rises
Back to office workers have been hit by an inflation-busting price hike for their morning hot drinks – Pret a Manger has added more than 50 per cent onto the cost of a filter coffee at many of its stores.
Pret became headline news in summer 2020 when people joked that Prime Minister Boris Johnson was urging people to stop working from home to save the coffee chain, months into the pandemic.
The cost of a filter coffee has risen from 99p to £1.50 in some stores, while a standard flat white has risen from £2.85 to £3.15.
Indeed, many of its hot beverages have now breached the £3-mark, with the company confirming the changes to This is Money
Pret a Manger have increased prices again recently, as their black filtered coffee now comes at a whopping £1.50, up the bargain 99p prior to the Covid Pandemic
It has left some loyal customers outraged. One Twitter user said: ‘Pret’s filter coffee going from 99p to £1.40 has emotionally damaged me beyond repair.’
Pret also launched a monthly coffee subscription last year. That has also gone up in price from £20 to £25, which has hit new customers already, while existing ones will see it bite from 16 March.
In an email to customers, the company blamed the price creep on inflation and VAT increases from the current 12.5 per cent to 20 per cent from April.
It said VAT would add £2 to the cost of the subscription, with an additional £1.50 going towards higher wages for staff and a further £1.50 to cover inflation.
Current prices in a Pret a Manger in Kensington, London as of February 17, 2022
As prices for energy, food and essential household bills continue to creep up, it seems that Pret are not immune from the pressure of rising inflation.
Coffee shops are experiencing further pressure with as wages are increasing amid staff shortages across the country following the pandemic.
Prior to lockdown, customers could get a filter coffee for less than £1 in most UK Pret’s, with prices as low as 49p if you brought your own reusable coffee cup.
One annoyed customer took to Twitter to vent their frustrations at the recent price hikes, saying: ‘Today marks another price rise. Filter coffee went from 1.00 to 1.25 to 1.40 now. 40% price rise.’
Another said: ‘Pret have put the price of a filter coffee up from 1.25 to 1.40 and now I’m considering giving up coffee on principal. Not sure what the principal is, exactly, but sure I can invent one’
While a third joked: ‘Forget Russia-Ukraine. I just paid £1.40 for a black coffee at Pret. Yesterday it was £1.25. Pre-pandemic – 99p’
Coffee prices are increasing amid extreme shortages and shipping costs rising
It appears in some stores, filter coffee is now £1.40. But in the High Street Kensington chain we visited, the price was £1.50.
In a reply on Twitter, Pret said: ‘We never take the decision to raise our prices lightly, but higher operating costs mean we sometimes need to put our prices up.
‘We feel that we are still competitively priced whilst offering excellent value for money with fresh food, high quality ingredients and great service.’
Everyday essentials have risen in price during the pandemic, with no exception’s made to coffee beans.
Brazil, one of the biggest producers, has suffered from severe droughts and frost over the last couple years, while shipping costs have continued to soar.
Pret currently uses Arabica coffee beans in their signature coffees, but the prices have risen by up to 40 per cent since 2020.
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