Pret A Manger scrapping smoothies, frappes and milkshakes

Pret A Manger is to stop making smoothies, frappes and milkshakes, the coffee and sandwich chain has announced.

The institution had previously received thousands of complaints that not all drinks on the menu were included in its monthly subscription service.

The blended drinks can be more expensive and take longer to make, with Pret stating that these would be replaced by iced drinks by the summer. The company is removing its blenders to make space for new ice machines in what has been labelled “the biggest drinks innovation in more than five years.”

However, smoothies and frappes will still be available in select stores until May 29, Pret has confirmed.

"For the company it’s much more expensive to provide smoothies - fruit juice, fruit - and it takes time to make them”, one Pret staff member told the BBC. “There’s far too much demand from subscribers. The company will replace them with iced drinks - not blended - which take much less time to make and are cheaper."

In 2021, Pret suggested that frappes and smoothies would be removed from the subscription scheme but abandoned these plans after public outcry.

"To get shops ready for the new range, Pret is beginning to install new ice machines in its UK shops, removing blenders to make way for them. Smoothies and frappes will still be available in select shops until 29 May”, a spokesperson confirmed to the BBC.

The Pret subscription service – which costs £25 per month – launched in the summer of 2020 under the premise of free drinks per day.

With a necessity of 30 minutes between each order, the drinks available originally included all coffees, teas, hot chocolate, fruit smoothies, milkshakes and frappes alongside syrups, cream and extra shots of coffee.