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How 'MailOnline' Readers Are Reacting to the News That Baguettes Are Made in France

"Snowflake food at snowflake prices."
Photo of Baguettes by Flikr user Jules (CC BY 2.0)

On its site Pret claimed: "The fresher the better".

On its site Pret lied.

The Daily Mail has done some top investigative reporting and can today "reveal" that sandwich chain Pret a Manger's "fresh" baguettes are made in a French factory and can keep for up to a year. Far from being made in-store they are part-baked in France and frozen to -18ºC, then shipped to Pret stores where "best before" labels say they can be kept for up to 12 months before use.

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Pret then bake the frozen dough in store, which is pretty revelatory if you didn't realise that most high street grab-a-sandwich-on-your-work-break gaffs don't have a farm out back with an artisanal bakery. God forbid they be slapping pre-prepared dough down for those 1.50 pastries.

This "investigation" was prompted by the recent allergy-related deaths of two Pret customers. There is no mention in the article that using frozen dough is pretty normal and doesn't threaten your health. But why let that get in the way of an alarmist headline?

But never mind that, because most damning of all, the Mail slaps across the top of its front page: "Revealed: Chain's bread is churned out in foreign factory". As you spit out what you had assumed was a pure-bred, traditional English baguette, get ready for the next blood-boiling revelation:

"Pret A Manger's baguettes are made in an industrial estate near Rennes, France."

In France!

As you can imagine, the frankly treasonous procurement of baguettes from the ruddy French has stirred a few choice words the patriots of the MailOnline message boards. They know exactly where the mesdames et messieurs of Pret can stick their batons(!).

Below are a selection of the best comments, featuring much "Pret" wordplay:

Side note: when DM readers pick their username does no one tell them they'll be viewable by the general public and probably shouldn't read like a BDSM roleplaying character. Anyway!

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(Is…calling the French frogs…problematic?)

Yes it really was worth mortgaging our future prosperity to be rid of frozen baguettes.

Pret. Retire, bitch.

If we could all just listen to Suzy for a sec because it's nearly Pret Brie and Cranberry baguette season, yeah, ok, thanks.