Pret Faces Increasing Pressure as Animal Equality Launches New Accountability Campaign

After hundreds of campaigners marched through central London with a 400-metre petition, international animal protection organisation Animal Equality has launched a brand new accountability campaign calling on Pret to produce a credible plan to phase out frankenchickens.

On Wednesday morning, activists gathered outside Pret’s headquarters at 10 Bressenden Place in Victoria, taking megaphones and hard-hitting placards straight to the doorstep of Chief Executive Pano Christou for an entire day of loud protests.

The demonstration marks the entry of a third major organisation actively highlighting the high-street chain's broken chicken welfare commitment, alongside Anima and Project Slingshot.

Escalating protests at Pret’s London headquarters

Holding signs declaring “PRET PROFITS OFF OF FRANKENCHICKENS” and “PRET BROKE ITS PROMISE TO CHICKENS,” demonstrators called on Pret to immediately publish a comprehensive transition plan to end the use of fast-growing broiler breeds.

Where is Pret’s roadmap?

Back in 2018, Pret made a public commitment to eliminate fast-growing “frankenchickens” from its UK supply chain by 2026. These industrial breeds are selectively bred to grow at an unnatural speed—ballooning to slaughter weight in just 35 days. As a result, millions of these birds suffer from excruciating lameness, disease and fatal heart failure.

Yet eight years after making that promise, Pret has achieved 0% progress on switching to slower-growing breeds. Instead of meeting its 2026 target, Pret quietly kicked the deadline down the road to 2032, and they say they won't start until 2031.

Fool me twice, shame on one

Whilst Pret claims to be committed whilst other companies are not, it has refused to publish any near-term transition details or milestones to meet its commitment until 2031, leading activists to question the credibility of Pret's new promise.

The organisations are asking Pret to demonstrate its intentions to keep its new promise to phase out frankenchickens by starting the transition immediately, not in another five or six years' time.

Animal Equality activists took their message to Pret’s London doorstep after the company failed to respond to requests for dialogue.

Abigail Penny, Executive Director of Animal Equality UK, condemned the ongoing delays:

"Pret made this promise because it knows these chickens suffer excruciating pain. But a broken promise doesn’t help a single bird, and so far we’ve seen nothing to suggest the 2032 deadline is any more real than the 2026 one Pret has already abandoned."

"If Pret really has a roadmap, it must publish it today. The moment we see a credible plan, this campaign ends. Until then, we’ll keep showing up."

A united movement: take a break from Pret

Animal Equality has reached out directly to Christou seeking constructive dialogue, but their approaches have not been answered. The charity has warned that protests will continue and escalate until Pret publishes a credible roadmap.

"For the over one billion birds trapped in filthy factory farms across the UK every year, companies like Pret have the power to reduce their suffering," added Penny. "Using that power is the very least these animals deserve."

Across the country, the animal protection movement is standing shoulder to shoulder. With over 100,000 people already pledged to take a break from Pret and major animal charities joining the fight, the message to Pret’s boardroom is unmistakable: keep your promise.

Stand with us and demand real action: Pledge to take a break from Pret until they end frankenchicken cruelty at breakfrompret.com.