Pret Targeted By £1 Million Public Accountability Campaign Over ‘Frankenchickens’

Pret A Manger is facing a £1 million “Public Accountability Campaign” over its broken promise to stop selling “Frankenchickens” by 2026.

Anima, a British animal rights organization, launched the accountability campaign today in London, UK. The campaign includes ads in newspapers, on the London Underground, on street corners, and on a fleet of mobile billboards.

Frankenchickens are fast-growing birds that have been bred to grow as large as possible, as fast as possible. They reach their slaughter weight at just six weeks old, which causes myriad health issues and strains their bones, muscles, and ligaments.

In 2018, nearly a decade ago, Pret signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC). The BCC aimed to address the most common welfare issues caused by fast-growing birds raised in high-yield factory farms, including overcrowding, poor conditions, and painful slaughter methods. The adoption of slow-growing breeds has been described as the single most important part of the BCC for animal welfare.

Pret A Manger’s own 2025 BCC update confirms that it has made zero progress on its adoption of slow-growing breeds in the UK, the US, and France. The company’s updated timeline targets 50 percent adoption by 2031 and 100 percent by 2032.

‘Pret has no intention of honouring its commitment’

As noted by Animal, Pret’s current plan also lacks any meaningful action until 2031, 12 years after its original pledge to phase out Frankenchickens. Connor Jackson, the chief executive of Anima, said, “Pret is sitting on its hands whilst telling us it’s committed to better chicken – that’s not commitment, that’s an empty promise.”

He added, “Pret’s chickens are bred to grow so unnaturally fast that their bodies break down, leaving many unable to walk and in pain. Pret promised to spare these animals from the worst of factory farming. It broke that promise, and judging by its continued inaction, Pret has no intention of honouring its commitment.”

‘This campaign is about ensuring that Pret acts rather than talks’

Photo shows poultry feeding in a factory farm, including chickens with sores and missing feathers. Pret A Manger is facing a £1 million “Public Accountability Campaign” over its broken promise to stop selling “Frankenchickens” by 2026 — Adobe Stock Ninety percent of the more than one billion chickens farmed in the UK each year are fast-growing breeds

Earlier this year, eight restaurant groups that together own 18 brands – including Burger King, Wagamama, Nando’s, and KFC – officially withdrew from the BCC. At the time, Anima described the decision as being “about money and nothing else.”

In a statement sent to Plant Based News (PBN), Jackson said, “KFC is being honest about letting its chickens down, whereas Pret is still pretending and hoping its customers fall for it. This campaign is about ensuring that Pret acts rather than talks.”

Project Slingshot, the organization that projected video footage of pigs being slaughtered onto key London landmarks last week, is supporting Anima’s accountability campaign. Find out more about Anima here.

Please note: PBN runs a sponsored content model. To explore how you can get featured, please email [email protected] or visit everkinddigital.com