Pret boss seeks UK applicants following EU vote

THE boss of sandwich chain Pret A Manger has said the group is “reaching out” to British applicants as it looks to plug a looming recruitment gap caused by Brexit.

Clive Schlee, chief executive of Pret, said the group is taking a proactive approach to tackling fears that the UK’s exit from the EU will leave it struggling to staff its cafés, by advertising on social media and working with Jobcentres.

The group’s head of human resources last month revealed fears of a recruitment crisis because just one in 50 of its job applicants is British.

Mr Schlee said: “We used to wait for people to come to us, but we’re reaching out to more British labour applicants through social media and job centres.”

Pret, which last year created 839 full-time jobs, recently revealed it is launching a programme this summer to offer 500 week-long paid work experience placements to UK school students.

Mr Schlee said he was “encouraged” by government plans to head off recruitment woes for the hospitality industry with a new “barista visa” mooted to allow young European citizens to continue coming to the UK to work in coffee shops and pubs.

His comments came as the group posted a record set of full-year results, with worldwide sales rising 15 per cent to £776.2 million in 2016, while operating profit grew 11 per cent to £93.2 million. Like-forlike sales rose 4.8 per cent.

Mr Schlee said the pound’s fall since the Brexit vote had boosted trade as it has driven tourists to the UK but has also sent up ingredient costs.

Pret’s overseas trade was boosted by a strong showing in the US, where sales broke the $200 million mark for the first time in 2016.