Pret a Manger has axed its last remaining vegetarian-only stores as customers increasingly turn away from dedicated meat-free outlets.

The sandwich chain is set to convert its final three Veggie Prets, located in London and Manchester, into regular outlets by the end of the month.

At its peak, the chain had 10 vegetarian-only stores, with plans to convert ‘Eat’ stores after it acquired the chain in 2019.

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The ditching of the final veggie-only stores marks an end to an eight-year concept for Pret, which first introduced the dedicated stores in 2016.

A spokesperson told the Telegraph: “Every Pret shop is a Veggie Pret shop, with new vegetarian and vegan-friendly products coming onto our menu all the time.”

The closure of the Veggie Pret stores follows a difficult year for the plant-only industry, amid a wane in customer interest as cost pressures rose.