A first shop has opened at Milan Malpensa airport’s Terminal 2 and will be followed by three more outlets this year, including a shop in the airport’s Terminal 1 and two more in the Grandi Stazioni Retail circuit. The two companies are planning to eventually have 40 stores in the country.

Pano Christou, chief executive officer at Pret A Manger, said: “We know Pret has a huge fanbase in Europe, so I’m delighted to be bringing our freshly made food and organic coffee to even more people across the continent. Launching in Italy is a big moment for us and something I’ve been personally looking forward to. We’re excited to be working with Chef Express to help us introduce the Pret experience to people in Milan first, then across the country.”

The new partnership marks another step in Pret’s plan to double the size of its business by expanding into new countries and regions around the world. Italy has become the eighth launch country for Pret since it announced plans to expand into five new markets by the end of 2023.

The company now has nearly 70 shops across Europe, including in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland and Ireland, and has also recently announced plans to open stores in Portugal and Spain.

Chef Express manages all the catering activities of the Cremonini Group.

Cristian Biasoni, chief executive of Chef Express, added: “We are very pleased to partner with Pret A Manger to bring the most famous chain for fresh food and organic coffee to Italy.”