Coffee shop Christmas: Caffè Nero, Pret and Starbucks reveal 2023 festive menus

There are bakery treats galore as some of the nation’s biggest coffee shops gear up for Christmas 2023.

These range from traditional recipes transformed into sandwich formats to trending seasonal flavours incorporated into indulgent sweet treats.

We take a peek through at the seasonal offerings from Caffè Nero, Pret, and Starbucks: 

Caffè Nero

A trio of new bakery additions feature in the coffee chain’s collection of festive dishes, which are said to give a nod to the heartwarming Italian influence that defines Caffè Nero’s heritage.

Making its debut this year is the Pigs Under Blankets Panini (from £4.95), comprising pork sausages, beechwood smoked bacon, cheddar cheese and balsamic onion chutney wrapped up in a sourdough panini.

There is also the Sticky Toffee Pudding Cheesecake (from £3.75) – which has sticky toffee pudding sponge and caramel cheesecake layered on a buttery biscuit base topped with sticky toffee pudding chunks and a drizzle of toffee sauce – and the Millionaire’s Cake (from £3.75), made up of moist layers of rich chocolate sponge with a sweet caramel frosting, topped with gold dusted caramel shortbread pieces and chocolate chips, finished with a drizzle of caramel.

Back by popular demand, meanwhile, are the Turkey Feast Focaccia, Plant Based Festive Feast Panini, and Brie, Bacon & Cranberry Panini, while returning sweet favourites include the Classic Mince Pie and Luxury Amaretto Mince Pie.

Once again there are bakery influences on the hot beverage line-up, with newcomers including Millionaire’s Hot Chocolate, Panettone Latte, and Florentine Mocha.

“Every item has been carefully designed to help our customers experience affordable moments of indulgence and serenity, amidst the hustle and bustle of the festive period,” commented Will Stratton-Morris, CEO at Caffè Nero UK.

Pret A Manger

The array of seasonal delights showcased on Pret’s Christmas menu this year feature beloved classics and exciting new additions. Customers will also be able to purchase a limited edition, branded, and pocket-sized tin of crispy onions to sprinkle over their savoury orders – revealed as the secret to the popularity of Pret’s Christmas sandwiches.

New menu innovations celebrating traditional flavours include the Ham Hock & Festive Sprouts Macaroni Cheese, made with pulled ham hock, Italian matured cheese, béchamel sauce, Tubetti Rigati pasta, and Brussels sprouts. There’s also the new Salmon, Crayfish & Lemon Mayo Rye Roll, which combines wild crayfish, Scottish smoked salmon, lemon mayonnaise, cucumber, butter, rocket, and dill, all served in a barley & rye roll.

Sweet treat introductions for 2023 include the Coffee Caramel Slice, which layers white chocolate and sweet caramel with coffee ontop a dark chocolate shortbread base, and the Festive Florentine Slice, which sees mincemeat on a crumbly shortcake base topped with fresh flaked almonds. The Chocolate S’mores Cookie – a freshly-baked chocolate cookie with melted marshmallows and milk chocolate chunks – announces its arrival too.

Returning to the festive lineup are the Brie & Cranberry Baguette, the Pigs in Blankets Hot Roll, and the Boxing Day Toastie (plump with turkey, ham, cheese, and stuffing), as well as the Christmas Tiffin, Mince Pie, and good ol’ Melvin the Melting Snowman Gingerbread Cookie.

Pret also welcomes back its “stars of the show”, namely the Christmas Lunch Sandwich (roast turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce) and the vegan-friendly Nut Roast Granary (roast butternut squash, rocket and pesto), with 50p from each sale donated towards charitable activities of The Pret Foundation attempting to break the cycle of homelessness, hunger, and poverty.

As an office treat or a lunchtime get-together in the run-up to the holidays, Pret’s Christmas sandwiches, baguettes, and sweet treats can also be purchased as platters.

Starbucks

Five brand new bakery offerings adorn the Christmas menu at Starbucks, including some favourite savoury combinations and twists on returning flavours.

A fresh take on a classic sandwich is the Holiday Ham Sub Roll (from £4.60), comprising a soft sub roll packed with honey roast ham, medium Cheddar cheese, cranberry chutney, a honey mustard slaw, and spinach.

Pastry cravings can be fixed with a Tomato & Mozzarella Croissant (from £4.15), which includes a tomato and herb dressing and cheese sauce, or a flaky Cheese Twist (from £2.40) topped with Red Leicester cheese for a bite on-the-go.

Starbucks’ returning Caramel Waffle beverages have inspired the new Caramel Waffle Muffin (from £2.80), a caramel muffin filled with soft caramel and decorated with a mini caramel waffle, caramel crisp pearls, and gold chocolate drizzle. Last year’s bakery debut of the toffee nut flavour has come back around to feature in the new Toffee Nut Cookie (from £2.50), a buttery cookie filled with caramel white chocolate chips and chopped roasted hazelnuts.

Making their appearance again on the menu, meanwhile, are the Pigs Under Blanket Roll, the Festive Feast Panini, the vegetarian Brie and Cran-merry Focaccia, the Turkey & Chicken Sandwich, the Red Velvet Loaf Cake, and the Christmas Tree Brownie.