'Frankenchicken' Protest Targets New Putney Pret

Animal rights activists claim chain has broken promises on chicken-welfare

Protestors urged customers to 'take a break' from the chain. Picture: Anima

September 11, 2026

Animal welfare activists staged a high-visibility protest at the opening of Pret A Manger’s new Putney café on Sunday (5 September), targeting the chain over what they describe as a broken promise to end the use of fast-growing “frankenchickens”.

Members of the charity Anima arrived at the Shell garage forecourt on West Hill dressed in hazmat suits, unfurling banners and confronting customers as part of a £1m national campaign aimed at pressuring Pret over chicken-welfare.

The protest at the site, which used to be occupied by Costa, is the latest in a sustained series of actions by Anima, which says it has targeted around 100 Pret stores in recent months. The group accuses the company of abandoning its pledge, made in 2018, to phase out fast-growing breeds by 2026. These breeds, which grow up to five times faster than natural, have been linked to severe welfare problems including deformities, heart failure and ammonia burns from waste.

Pret has faced mounting public pressure over the issue, including support for the campaign from celebrities such as Chris Packham and more than 90,000 members of the public who have pledged to “take a break from Pret” until the company fulfils its promise. Packham described factory-farmed chicken as “a horror story dressed up as a lunch menu” and said he was “furious” at Pret for delaying action.

Anima’s chief executive, Connor Jackson, said the organisation had tried to avoid a public confrontation but felt compelled to escalate after years of inaction. “For eight long years Pret has sat on their hands and allowed chickens to suffer and collapse in their own waste,” he said. “Instead of keeping their word to take action, Pret has simply kicked the can to 2032. Pret’s frankenchickens have been crippled through extreme selective breeding. This is cruel and unnecessary, and Pret has broken their own promise to address it.”

Pret A Manger, responding to the claims, says it remains committed to improving welfare standards and is still signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC). The company says it already meets five of the six BCC criteria, with the remaining unmet requirement being the shift to slower-growing breeds. Pret acknowledges it has delayed its original 2026 deadline, now aiming for 50% slower-growing chicken by 2031 and full compliance by 2032.

The company says it is “disappointed” to be targeted by campaigners, arguing that it is “one of the few businesses that remains signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment” while other chains have abandoned it entirely. Pret emphasises that it uses higher-welfare British chicken and is working with organisations including Compassion in World Farming to complete the transition. It also says it respects peaceful protest but is focused on supporting staff and customers during demonstrations.

Campaigners, however, argue that Pret’s delay amounts to breaking a promise and say the company has made “0% progress” since 2018. They have also criticised Pret for failing to respond publicly to thousands of customer comments on social media about the issue.