Pret a Manger gave away 1m free coffees in 2015 - on top of sales of 1.5m cups a week

Pret has been giving away free coffee for a number of years

Pret a Manger reported sales up 14 per cent to £676.2 million in 2015

(Pret a Manger)

Pret a Manger gave away 1 million free coffees last year as a part of a "random acts of kindness" initiatve, its company results reveal.

“Coffee remains an important area of growth for Pret, selling 1.5 million cups a week globally.

Pret staff also handed out over 1 million free hot drinks last year, as part of the company’s alternative loyalty scheme which is based on the concept of ‘random acts of kindness’," the company said in its results.

Pret a Manger reported sales up 14 per cent to £676.2 million in 2015. Like-for-like sales rose 7.5 per cent year-on-year with almost 60 per cent of sales taking place outside of lunchtime - which means more people than ever are buying their breakfast at Pret.

Pret has been giving away free coffee for a number of years after feedback from customers said that shop teams had brightened up their day by the small gesture of giving them a treat on the house.

Pret insists their aren't any rules about who gets free coffee and who doesn't, but team members have revealed they are more likely to give coffee to regular customers or those who look like they need cheering up. The company said giving servers the choice empowers them and keeps customers happy.

So there you have it: the best way to get a free coffee from Pret is to be loyal to your barista, or visit on a bum day and make puppy eyes at the server.

Coffee sales were outstripped by sales of vegetarian food, which is in double digit growth. The avocado was the fastest-growing ingredient, with over five million avocados eaten by Pret customers last year.

Clive Schlee, Pret a Manger CEO, said: “Last year thousands of customers told us they were trying to eat less meat. This year we have challenged ourselves to increase our vegetarian options in all shops, as well as opening a veggie-only pop-up shop to learn more from our customers."