Reliance Brands Ltd (RBL) on Thursday forayed into the food & beverage segment when it joined hands with British sandwich and coffee chain Pret A Manger. Under a long-term master franchise partnership, RBL will launch and build the brand in India. It plans to open the fresh food & organic coffee chain across the country starting with major cities and travel hubs.

Pret A Manger — French for ready to eat — opened its first store in London in 1986. Over 35 years later, the brand has 550 shops globally across nine markets including the UK, US, Europe, and Asia, offering organic coffee, sandwiches, salads and wraps freshly made each day.

RBL, a subsidiary of Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL), began operations in 2007 with a mandate to launch and build global brands in the luxury to premium segments across fashion and lifestyle.

In the past five years, it has also focussed on building and operating homegrown Indian designer brands. Its current portfolio of brand partnerships include Armani Exchange, Bally, Bottega Veneta and Brooks Brothers. “Our partnership with Pret is rooted in the growth potential of both Pret as a brand as also of the food & beverage industry in India. RBL closely follows the pulse of consumers and there is an increased consciousness of what we eat– rapidly making food the new fashion,” Darshan Mehta, MD, Reliance Brands, said.