[HenryBemis]

Being an on and off customer since 1998, I was fascinated by the idea that I can walk in and pick a sandwich out of 20-50-100 combinations (I honestly don't remember how many options were available but I remember it as "oh sooooo many!!!".

I treated it as a snack. Once I moved back to London some years back I was (negatively) surprised that MANY people consider lunch to be: "1 sandwich +1 bad of crisps/chips +1 sugary soft drink". I believe that Pret helped push obesity in the UK (and McD, and KFC, and many more - but Pret definitely contributed).

It is sad to see that jobs are on the line, but in all honesty people need to start eating better and stop considering Pret as "the place to get lunch/dinner"

It should be only for a quick lunch for tourists that may want a quick bite before they go from tourist_attraction_A to tourist_attraction_B without spending time and money for lunch.

To the profit point: liquids tend to make most of the profit. Sandwich takes time, effort, material, cost for quality, etc. A coffee (nowadays) is cheap and easy, it won't go bad after 24h. I was reading somewhere (HN? Reuters?) that BP sold 150mil cups of coffee.. easy money for all!

[matthewmacleod]

The idea that what’s essentially a regular sandwich shop (and not one particularly notable for pushing “chips” or “sugary soft drinks”) is in any real way contributing to obesity in the UK is laughable.

[TheOtherHobbes]

It really isn't. Small sandwich + crisps + sugary soda or coffee >= 700 calories, which is around twice what someone sedentary needs for lunch unless they start their day with a decent run. Add a chocolate bar and you're over 800. Start with a bigger roll or a wrap instead of a small sandwich and you're over 900.

It's also a huge carb hit, which is not ideal for staying awake later. And it's low in bulk, which will lead to snacking later.

All of this gets worse as you get older and your metabolism slows down. It's sort-of-ok for someone in their twenties, but literally lethal for someone in their fifties.

Pret are at the better end of the spectrum, and they also sell salad-related items which are less of a problem.

But this kind of sandwich lunch culture in general is a huge contributor to obesity. It doesn't look like a lot of food, it doesn't really fill you up, but it is a lot of calories.

[chrisseaton]

> Small sandwich + crisps + sugary soda or coffee >= 700 calories

What are you on about? That's under a third of the daily recommended calories for a man.

Even if you ate this three times a day... you're going to be under.

> around twice what someone sedentary needs for lunch

So a 350 calorie lunch? So that'd be under half the recommended daily intake total even if you ate a large breakfast. So people living on about 1000 calories a day? How does that work? Most people's weights would be in freefall.

People have weird warped views about how many calories things are. For example did you know if you ate a full McDonald's meal with fries and regular Coca-Cola for every meal... you'd be under your recommended calorie count?

[hnick]

I actually ended up on ~1000 calories a day as a tallish guy. My wife asked me to join her on a meal plan and I forgot to look at the details. It ended up being about 3 meals a day at 300 calories apiece. A month in she let me know that I was meant to be having a 'snack' of another 300 too.

But those weights were for her smaller stature, not mine, and she's always been terrible with numbers (we agree that's my job, so I should've known). I actually got used to it surprisingly quick, and I have to say, it worked and I lost 20kg in a few months without much real discomfort. I cheated one or two meals each week which helped keep me sane.

I mostly stopped because we were cooking certain recipes on the plan and it was just annoying and uninspiring after a while. I did learn a lot about food and how much I actually need if I'm just sitting around some days. But I don't think my 1000 calorie diet was healthy or recommended and a lighter touch is probably better.

[chrisseaton]

> how much I actually need if I'm just sitting around some days

If you're a sedentary person then maybe it worked for you, but it's under half what medical professionals recommend for a normally active man. Many somewhat active people (less than an hour run a day) are going to burn half your calorie intake on exercise alone. You do need some calories to simply live and think beyond that.

I think people are out of their minds saying a shop selling 400 calorie sandwiches for probably your main meal of the day is excessive.

[hnick]

I did go to the gym occasionally, but it was more along the lines of pilates type stuff. Also walked the dog each day. So nothing crazy but I wasn't just sitting around.

Somehow I wasn't even underweight when I stopped, but in another couple of month I probably would've been. There is of course a good chance the calorie counting was wrong too.

[matthewmacleod]

It really isn't. Small sandwich + crisps + sugary soda or coffee >= 700 calories, which is around twice what someone sedentary needs for lunch unless they start their day with a decent run. Add a chocolate bar and you're over 800. Start with a bigger roll or a wrap instead of a small sandwich and you're over 900.

Basically what you're saying is "eating too much food is bad" which… well, obviously. If you are eating a large sandwich, crisps, a sugary drink, and a chocolate bar for lunch… isn't it obvious that's too much? Eat a regular-sized sandwich, some popcorn, and a banana – like all the people who went to the Pret next to my office did pretty frequently.

literally lethal for someone in their fifties.

This is quite funny. "Sandwich culture is lethal to the over-50s".

[genmon]

Yup -- I was really surprised when I started looking at the nutrition labels on Pret food. High calories, tons of mayo. Not great.

[lozenge]

Their avocado and herb salad wrap should be called cheese and avocado wrap. It's all high in fat, sugar and salt

[HenryBemis]

To quote Tesco: "every little helps".

I like to eat at Farmer J's. Decent food (quality/quantity), costs around £8. A "lunch" (laugh/cry) on Pret costs £3? £4? People that spent £10-20 per day to commute, £3-5 on dry cleaning, £6-8 for x2 coffees, will try to squeeze every penny. So yes they may go to Pret and save £4 from their "lunch".

I don't blame the shop, they don't sell heroin, they sell sandwiches. I merely focused on the fact that people see it at a "source for nutrition". The fault is to both sides. People prefer the tasty quick-fix (salt/sugar) instead of a balanced nutritional lunch. The Pret is positioning itself in every other block for convenience. The people (especially in the square mile and Canary Wharf) are overworked, stressed, and they need the quick bite/fix and then run back to work. I've heard a million times the line "I got no time and/or money to spend for a normal/decent lunch".

It is a mixture of the above. Plus the revolution of caffeine (no need to eat and sleep well - coffee will fix everything, will keep us going).

So yes, a "sandwich shop" (aka fast food) is also to blame partially (just as McD, KFC, etc.)

It is a hydra with a thousand heads, and COVID helped cut some of them, show how we can thrive with a different lifestyle.

People work from home. They will eat (hopefully) better, caffeine/sugar consuption (I hope) is reduced, the work is done, people will spend 1-2-3h less on trains/buses that they can spend with their loved ones (or sleep).

And yes, a sandwich shop (in every bloody corner) selling cheap junkfood 'packaged' (offered) with fried salty junk (crisps) and sugar (soft drinks) DOES contribute to obesity. Thinking that it doesn't is illogical. It's not a discussion on causality/coincidence.

[matthewmacleod]

And yes, a sandwich shop (in every bloody corner) selling cheap junkfood 'packaged' (offered) with fried salty junk (crisps) and sugar (soft drinks) DOES contribute to obesity. Thinking that it doesn't is illogical. It's not a discussion on causality/coincidence.

I'll leave the fight-club fantasy to one side, but point out that a sandwich from Pret is basically some bread, some salad, and some protein. It's fine. If this is where you're starting as a contributor to obesity, then literally all food is obesogenic.

[082349872349872]

> they need the quick bite/fix and then run back to work.

A different stable equilibrium: shutting the country down during 90 minutes for the midday repast.

(Are the two coffees liquid substitutes for the 10 o'clock and 4 o'clock? What about tea ladies? Are they no longer a thing?)