Pret A Manger gives staff third pay rise this year

From April, its lowest paid staff will earn up to £11.80-£14.10 an hour based on location and experience.

The British coffee chain said the latest rise means the average pay base will have increased by 19% in the twelve months up to April, surpassing the rate of inflation, which stood at 10.1% in the year up to January.

For entry level staff, the rise amounts to a 15% pay rise year-on-year.

The company said the rise was being given to help staff with the rising cost of living. 

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Pret A Manger already gives its staff free food while on shift.

Interim managing director Guy Meakin said: “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.”

A number of companies have upped their staff wages to keep up with rising inflation.

Last month, Tesco announced it will increase pay for store workers by 7% to a minimum of £11.02 per hour, up from from £10.30, from April.

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The rise – its third increase over the past 10 months - will represent an investment of more than £230 million, bringing total pay investment to a record £450 million over the past year after previous increases.

Aldi, Lidl, Sainsbury’s and Asda have also announced pay hikes for staff in recent months.