Pret A Manger, Manchester

We British love sandwiches. They are convenient and the food industry has latched on. You can get Sandwiches everywhere and I am a firm believer that Pret sells some of the best around.

Just thinking of pret sandwiches makes me hungry. All of them are freshly made on site and you can tell. I have yet to encounter a soggy sandwich (as I have done previously with Boots). My two favourites have to be

1. Crayfish and Rocket (£2.90)
2.Super Club (£2.70)

Here we have our first problem. The PRICE IS NOT CHEAP and eat in is dearer than take away. What hits me is why you would want to eat-in in the first place? The stores are very sterile and the seats uncomfortable. The stools are too high and you have to perch carefully as opposed to relaxing into it (as in Starbucks). Most of the shops are cramped and the eat-in option is really not viable so if the shops are so small anyway, why offer eat-in option at all? Another thing I've noticed is that they love turning on the air conditioning, there does to be a happy medium with the temperature in their stores. My advice, take your sandwich with you, it's marginally cheaper and you don't have to suffer their stores.

BACK TO THE SANDWICHES. Crayfish and rocket is great. You have the pepperiness of the rocket with a light mayonnaise dressing (unlike some stores were it is all too much). They aren't stingy on the crayfish either and you get a nice meaty mouthful. AND for ladies who care only 364 calories per pack!!!

Superclub is slightly more indulgent. At 580 calories per pack. Yet again this is perfectly made, the chicken is fresh (not dry like boots) and the crispy rashers of bacon complement the lettuce, tomato and light dressing perfectly.

Yet despite the good sandwiches, Pret COULD BE SO MUCH BETTER. The drinks and desserts accompanying it don't even come close to the quality of Starbucks. The variety, the packaging all seem lacking. Their coke is horrible and the coffee is average. Cakes are sold it TINY slices, good for diets bad for the purse and the sugar tooth.

There are also other options such as sushi, wraps and bakery. I have found none of these satisfactory. The sushi is overpriced and very Marks and Sparks- the rice is dry and the fish...well you can't really go that wrong. Wraps are average and overpriced (go to boots). Bakery is inconsistent- sometimes they have it, sometimes they don't. The croissant I had last time was small, dry and a complete waste of money (Thank god I wasn't paying).

When I think about the sandwiches I want to got to Pret, when I think about anything else, I don't. Plus some branches only open specifically for lunch- great for those with regular lunch hours, terrible for those who don't. For me, Pret has so much potential but McDonalds (owners of Pret) have not continued its development- what a missed opportunity.