Concept    From 22/7/1986 

First Pret a Manger shop

Categories: Commerce, Food & Drink

The brand Pret a Manger actually started in Hampstead but that folded after 18 months and the brand was sold to Julian Metcalfe and Sinclair Beecham who restarted it in Victoria near, but not actually at, the building with the plaque. This time it survived and became extremely successful.

(We were working in St James's in the 80s and remember this great new sandwich shop in Victoria Street, with an odd French name.)

2017: We were contacted by Simon Jones who knew Jeffrey Hyman, who was, depending on your definition, the actual founder of Pret a Manger. Hyman (1949-2017) created the shop in Hampstead in October 1984 and after a year’s trading sold the name, branding, and logo to Metcalfe and Beecham. Hyman, who lived in Temple Fortune most of his life, died early in 2017. Obit. in The Grocer.

2024: Mr Little kindly contacted us to point out that we’d got the street numbers a bit muddled (now sorted). The original shop was at 75B Victoria Street, that’s the shop now occupied by Toni and Guy. Since then Pret have moved to larger premises, up the road at 93-95, and that’s where the plaque is.

Pret are proud of their history: Describing their current offices: “To celebrate Pret’s first shop opening at 75B Victoria Street, a blue plaque emblazoned with 75B sits on the reception desk. Off reception is a meeting room with their first shop sign in glorious neon pink.”

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
First Pret a Manger shop

Commemorated ati

Pret a Manger - first

The first Pret a Manger shop and kitchen was opened near here by Julian Metca...

Read More

Other Subjects

British Gas
1 memorial
Coal Hole Tavern

Coal Hole Tavern

The meeting place of the Wolf Club of which in about 1826 Edmund Kean was a leading member.  Lawrence Silverman tells us that, later, this was the tavern where Renton Nicholson staged his very rude...

Place, Commerce, Community / Clubs, Food & Drink

1 memorial
Caesar Czarnikow

Caesar Czarnikow

Sugar broker. Born Carl Julius Caesar Czarnikow in Sondershausen, Germany. He came to Britain in 1854, and established his sugar brokerage firm, C. Czarnikow, in 1862, which by the time of his deat...

Person, Commerce, Germany

1 memorial
Nicholson's pubs

Nicholson's pubs

The Nicholson's brothers opened their first pub in 1873.

Group, Commerce, Food & Drink

1 memorial
Kensington Wells

Kensington Wells

In 1696 a mineral spring was discovered on the site, and the Kensington Wells developed from it. The first building to be erected at the spring was the Wells spa, which operated until the mid 18th...

Place, Commerce, Medicine

1 memorial