FREE sweet treats will be up for grabs across the UK to celebrate the lead-up to Valentine’s Day.
Pret A Manger will be giving away up to 10,000 cookies for to visitors who visit their stores from 3pm tomorrow (February 12).
In a gesture to “celebrate the season of love” the chain is offering the sweet treats, which normally sell for £3.60, for free. You don’t even need to be a paying customer to get one.
Customers can choose from a Dark Choc & Almond Butter Cookie or a Fruit, Oat and spelt Cookie by saying a secret phrase.
To get your freebie you just need to say the words ‘Cookie Crush’ at the till but beware, the offer is only available until stocks last.
Over 10,000 cookies are expected to be given away across Pret’s 500 stores with just two locations in Belfast, Donegall Square and Grand Central Station, not included in the giveaway.
The offer comes after actor Timothée Chalamet said the UK chain was “a top date spot” for romance.
Katherine Bagshawe, Pret A Manger’s UK Food & Coffee Director, said: “At Pret, we’ve always believed that great food brings people together, and what better way to celebrate love than with a freshly baked cookie?
“When we heard Timothée Chalamet mention Pret as a top date spot, we couldn’t resist marking the occasion with a little extra sweetness.
We hope our customers enjoy this special treat, whether they’re celebrating romance, friendship, or simply their love of cookies!”
The freebies are available from 3pm until close or until they’re all gone – and you’ll need to move quick to get your hands on one.
You can check the opening hours of your local store here.
The news comes after Pret today announced it would be keeping its £5 monthly loyalty scheme.
Put in place after the chain faced backlash for axing its free coffee deal in July last year, the new price has now become permanent since it was trialed from September.
Club Pret subscription saw customers pay £30 a month for 5 free barista-made coffees a day and 20% off all Pret A Manger food.
Changes to the deal, which cost loyal customers £360 a year, saw Pret announce it would be changing its scheme to £10 a month for 50% off coffee.
The 20% discount on the chain’s food menu also ended.
Club Pret members were shocked when the announcement was made in July, with one writing on X (formerly Twitter): “Have a word I will be cancelling as I think many others will be!!! Shame on you.”
Another added: “Pret changing their subscription to 50% off five drinks instead of it being free five drinks…. that just ruined my day.”
A third cried: “It’s a very sad day for coffee lovers.”
Pret said that given that the majority of its customers were not Club Pret subscribers, its priority was to “focus on better value for everyone”.
A reduced rate of £5 a month was going to be available only until the end of March 2025, but in a surprising twist Pret emailed its customers today to say the new lower monthly fee is here to stay.
“Our Club Pret monthly subscription fee will remain at just £5,” said Pret A Manger.
“You’ll continue to enjoy great savings on up to five Barista-made drinks per day,” with a link encouraging customers to see the chain’s new terms and conditions, here.
What are the alternative schemes?
Leon Roast Rewards
You can sign up to chain Leon’s Roast Rewards for £25 a month and, as with Pret’s original offer, get five barista-made drinks a day.
This works out at roughly 83p a day for five drinks – definitely not a bad deal if you’re buying even one coffee every day.
Under the terms of the off membership, you can only buy one drink every hour. So you can’t get a free drink for you and a pal at the same time.
As part of the scheme, you also get 20% off breakfast and the all-day food menu.
Starbucks
You can join Starbucks membership for free – a no-brainer if you’re regularly getting drinks there.
Customers get three stars for each partial £1 spent, then a free drink when they get 150 stars. It means spending around £50.
For a £2.95 small latte, it means buying 17 small lattes to get a free one.
Taking a leaf out of airline loyalty programs, Starbucks has a “gold level”.
This is reached once you have collected 450 stars – after spending £84.
It lets you claim perks like extra shots, dairy-free milk and whipped cream for free.
There is also a drink on the house for your birthday.
How it works:
- £1 spent = three stars (includes partial pounds spent), 150 stars = free drink
- Small latte cost: £2.95
- Number of drinks to hit target: 17
- Cost for a ‘free’ coffee: £50.15
- Reusable cup bonus: 25p off
Costa
Costa also runs a free loyalty scheme but also changed the terms last August
Customers must now buy an extra two coffees to get a free one at Costa, meaning you’ll get a freebie after buying ten, rather than eight.
As with Nero, you get an extra stamp for a reusable cup.
Stamps can be collected in any of the chain’s 2,800 coffee shops, as well as around 12,000 machines in petrol stations and convenience stores.
How it works:
- One drink purchased = one bean, 10 beans = free drink
- Small latte cost: £3.50
- Number of drinks to hit target: ten
- Cost for a ‘free’ coffee: £35
- Reusable cup bonus: Yes, one extra bean
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