Food and beverage business Pret A Manger has announced that its 7,870 UK shop employees will receive a pay rise in April, to support them with the rising cost of living. This will be the third pay increase employees have received in 12 months.
From 1 April, team members, baristas and shop managers will receive an additional 3% pay increase on top of the 5% they gained in December 2022. Team members’ pay will increase from between £10.30 and £11.55 per hour, to between £10.60 and £11.90 per hour, depending on location, or between £11.85 and £13.15 per hour with the mystery shopper bonus, which sees eligible staff receive an extra £1.25 per hour for that week’s pay if they score highly.
Barista pay has been increased from between £10.85 and £12.50 per hour to between £11.20 and £12.85 depending on location and experience, or between £12.45 and £14.10 per hour with the mystery shopper bonus.
This increase means that average base pay was increased by 19% in the year to April, while average entry level pay increased by 15% year-on-year to above £12, which is higher than the UK national living wage and inflation rate.
Guy Meakin, interim managing director at Pret A Manger UK and Ireland, said: “We’re proud to be making another significant investment in our people’s success and wellbeing. Whether it’s paying above the national minimum wage, providing career development opportunities, or leading the industry on barista pay we’re committed to making Pret a rewarding and supportive place to work for all our teams and paying the best we can afford to.
“Our people work incredibly hard to make Pret such a well-loved place on the high street, and we wanted to thank them for their continued energy and commitment. As the cost of living continues to rise, we hope this latest increase in pay, and our expanded benefits package, goes some way in providing further support for our hardworking teams.”
Pret A Manger also launched a new discount portal that provides staff with access to fresh food and other essential items from supermarkets and other businesses at a lower cost. It currently offers free food and drink for breakfast and lunch while on shift, and a 50% discount for all staff.