Romford’s first Pret A Manger outlet has opened.

The café chain had announced in August it was coming to the town, occupying the site next to the Waterstones bookshop in the Liberty shopping centre.

While it was initially expected to launch in September, the eatery opened its shutters last week.

Pret has said it has a ten-year lease to occupy the 3,445 sq ft unit and has created 20 jobs with its opening.

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Clare Clough, UK managing director at Pret, said she is “delighted” about the new Romford branch.

She added: “This latest opening will add to our growing number of popular shops in London’s boroughs, and we look forward to helping workers, shoppers and residents refuel with Pret’s freshly made food and organic coffee."

Tom Stobbart, centre manager at Liberty Shopping Hall, welcomed the café to the mall’s “diverse line of eateries”.

The brand, he said, will “complement their existing tenants nicely”.

Julie Frost, of Romford's Business Improvement District, said it is "exciting" to see another well-known brand come to Romford.

She added: "It is a real boost to us all in these difficult days. We look forward to further developments within the town."

In partnership with the Pret Foundation, the chain is also on the lookout for charities to donate their surplus food to at the end of each day.

Interested local charities can contact via Pret.FoundationUK@pret.com.