Talk of the season: Pret vs Leon subscription - which one calls?

There has been a significant ongoing debate as to which of two rivals, ‘Pret a Manger’ and ‘Leon’, have the better drink subscription. 

It is universal knowledge that an adequate cup of coffee can mean the difference between a good and a bad day - but 5 free permitted drinks per day, as per these new upcoming subscriptions? - Now that’s something that should be further delved into, in which case you’ve come to the right place! 

So, what does each subscription really entail?

Prior to mid-July, 2024, Pret had an offer available that included ‘5 free barista-made drinks’ per day, with a total subscription cost of £30 per month; this has since been changed to an offer of 50% off 5 drinks a day, at a total of £5 per month. 

Now, almost as if in response to my indignation concerning this very sudden change, rival Leon has since extended a similar subscription: Leon now offers 5 free drinks a day at £25 per month, including seasonally-changing drink options. 

As a customer of both subscriptions, over the course of around a year, I found that I simply had to further investigate the cost effectiveness of both and create an ultimate guide as to which one truly trumps the other.

I talked to some University students at UCL regarding both drink subscriptions, gauging that these would inevitably be quite popular among the student community.

I was gutted when Pret ended their subscription, and have sadly discontinued mine after their new offer was rolled out - it didn’t seem to be of as much value any longer", Marwa Zakir commented.

I also asked about the new Leon offer, and that put things in a different light;

While they don’t have as much variety within their drink options at Leon, it is overall slightly cheaper, and quite honestly helps manage my abrupt withdrawal symptoms from the Pret subscription", Shreya Banerjee added humorously.

 

If you’re someone who absolutely adores their coffee like me, perhaps more than I really ought to, then you would find that such subscriptions can be central to one’s lifestyle. 

While Pret’s initial offer was almost faultless, their new adapted one is perhaps less so, with its decreased value for money; even if one was to get only one drink per day at half price (an average of £2.20) it would equate to around £66 per month, as opposed to the original £30 with 5 per day. 

On the other hand, Leon’s offer is overall £5 cheaper per month, and while it has slightly fewer drink options, it definitely brightens my day, putting a skip in my step.

In conclusion, I would have to say that the Leon subscription takes the win, for its cheaper cost and therefore overall value for money.

Run to the nearest Leon while you still can!