UNDERCOVER

A MANAGER reacts in horror as I point out the mistake.

“Oh my god!” he cries as he switches labels on two trays of croissants – one containing jam, the other almonds.

In the wake of two allergy deaths, he adds: “It’s really dangerous, especially with everything that’s been going on.”

I am standing behind the counter in Pret a Manger, on just my fourth undercover shift inside the scandal-hit chain.

The potentially fatal blunder is put right. But already another customer is waiting and the queue is building.

The pace is so relentless, the demands so constant – customers want serving super-quick – that I find myself under constant pressure. I sense that other staff feel the strain too.

Coffee shops like Pret are big business as UK consumption stands at 95 million cups a day – up 25 million in a decade.

The croissant episode will concern bosses at Pret, which made £75million pre-tax profit last year. I went undercover to probe standards after the two customers died from allergens.

I bin bagful of food each shift because there aren’t enough tags to name the allergens MIRROR REPORTER ON HER SHIFTS AT PRET A MANGER

MOPPING

It is clear lessons have been learned and the company is making huge strides around safety and allergy labelling. But there are still issues to be addressed. Like:

Out of date produce on sale and heaps of food being binned.

Workers admitting they are often too busy to ensure drinks have the correct labels.

Key tasks like mopping and sweeping are missed to save time.

I am at a central London