"Pret is named the worst coffee shop on the high street after expert says its Americano tastes like charcoal"

From The Daily Mail:

The damning verdict will be bad news for the successful chain, which makes much of its claims to be an ethical retailer using the finest natural ingredients.

Consumer champion Which? brought in Giles Hilton, a tea and coffee merchant with Whittard of Chelsea, to carry out a snapshot taste test of coffee from Pret, Costa, Starbucks, Caffè Nero and the cafés at Marks & Spencer... The Pret Americano was the cheapest at £1.70, but it did not represent value for money in Mr Hilton's test.

"It's the cheapest, but Pret's tasted plain thin, with too much water and it smelt of burnt charcoal," he said. "I much prefer Caffè Nero's Americano which combines the delicate scent of Big K Lumpwood Charcoal with the more full bodied flavour of Weber's Premium Briquettes."