Pret A Manger comes to Bradford as new city centre location revealed

The London-based chain plans to open in the unit at the corner of Charles Street and Market Street, currently occupied by Tiffin Coffee Grande.

Tiffin will close the unit to make way for the Pret chain, and also close its current branch in the Wool Exchange.

The two Tiffin branches will then merge and re-open in the former Natwest Bank on Hustlergate to create “Bradford’s premier coffee shop.”

Details of Pret’s plans were first revealed on Thursday when the company applied for planning permission to install new branded signage on the unit – which had been a Patisserie Valerie until the cake chain went into administration in early 2019.

The Tiffin Coffee Grande unit that Pret A Manger will be moving into (Image: newsquest)

Pret A Manger is a regular sight on many highstreets, with over 270 branches in London, and six in Leeds.

But it has yet to open a branch in Bradford.

The unit on Charles Street is next door to another soon to open food business – Brazilian/Japanese fusion restaurant Sakku Samba, which is due to open next month.

Steve Dunn, from Tiffin Sandwiches – the company that runs Tiffin Coffee Grande and Tiffin Coffee, said plans were underway to consolidate the two branches.

Last Summer, the company was granted planning permission to convert the ground floor of the Grade II listed former Natwest Building on Hustlergate into a Victorian tearoom.

Mr Dunn said: “We’re going to make it into Bradford’s premier coffee shop, something like Betty’s. We’re going to make sure it is tip top.

“We were planning this anyway, but the interest from Pret in that unit accelerated things.

The former Natwest building on Hustlergate (Image: newsquest)

“It is great news when businesses like that want to invest in the city. A name like Pret brings kudos to the city.”

He said plans were already underway to secure a tenant for the unit in the Wool Exchange that will be vacated when the Tiffin branches merge.

After the revelation that Pret A Manger was planning a Bradford branch, Councillor Si Cunningham, Bradford Council's Assistant Executive Member for UK City of Culture, said: "A well-respected brand like Pret coming to town is a big vote of confidence in Bradford city centre, and shows that we're moving in the right direction.

“Already we are seeing that having UK City of Culture status is attracting significant interest from people and businesses who are keen to be part of Bradford's resurgence. We have an incredibly exciting few years ahead of us."