The lifting of coronavirus restrictions in the UK (Pret's biggest market) in July sparked the chain's recovery and, at the end of November, sales in the country rose above their pre-pandemic levels for the first time. However, Omicron has pushed them back down again and sales in other important markets, such as the US, are still well below their pre-COVID levels. Still, the firm has landed a £100 million ($132.5m) investment and is aiming to double global revenue by 2026.

Now discover the people who were forced out of the companies they founded

How companies facing a make-or-break 2021 fared