Only one in 50 people applying for jobs at high street sandwich shop Pret A Manger is British.

The company's director of human resources Andrea Wareham told the House of Lords economic affairs select committee on Wednesday that the chain employs 110 different nationalities.

Some 65 per cent of its workforce come from EU countries other than Britain.

Pret A Manger director of human resources told the House of Lords economic affairs select committee on Wednesday that the chain employs 110 different nationalities and would find it almost impossible to find enough staff if it were forced to turn away EU nationals

She added that the company would find it almost impossible to find enough staff if it were forced to turn away EU nationals after Brexit, reports the Guardian.

Ms Wareham said she did not think pay was the reason son many foreign workers chose Pret A Manger as a potential employer.

This is despite starting salaries being just £16,000 a year in London, which would barely be enough to cover rent.

'It's a difficulty in attracting, I would say one in 50 people who apply to our company to work is British,' said Ms Wareham.

'If I had to fill all our vacancies with British-only people I would not be able to fill them because of the lack of applications.

Before the referendum at the Pret a Manger restaurant in New Bridge Street (pictured) there were eight workers of five different nationalities on just one shift

'We are entirely accepting that the number of EU nationals will go down over time. We would love to increase the number of British nationals and we are excited about this.'

This was the first detailed public announcement the company has made about how last June's referendum result will affect its business.

Ms Wareham added that young people needed to be educated into believing it was a 'success' to be working in Pret as a teenager.

'It takes a long time to change hearts and minds. We need to work with education, career services,' she said.



