wagamama today launches the katsu smoothie with the ambition to get young people walking and talking in support of YoungMinds.
After a rollercoaster year of lockdowns, the deteriorating mental health of young people has been coined the hidden pandemic.
A recent YoungMinds survey reports 67 per cent of young people with experience of mental health problems believe that the pandemic will have a long-term negative effect on their mental health.
wagamama has teamed up with it’s charity partner YoungMinds, as they continue their mission to see a world where no young person feels alone with their mental health.
Launching the ultimate thirst trap, The Katsu Smoothie, wagamama aims to encourage people to connect again outside with a friend over a katsu smoothie. In many cases, for the first time in months.
The eyebrow raising click + collect menu addition will be offered in twenty restaurants, located in key university cities all over the UK between March 24 and April 7 with all proceeds being donated to YoungMinds.
An eclectic combination of katsu curry sauce, apple, banana and pineapple – the limited-edition smoothie is set to divide opinions. wagamama want to use the launch of the smoothie as a way to raise vital funds for YoungMinds work, as well as directing customers to the charity’s ‘Not All On You campaign’.
The campaign offers advice on how to respond to a friend when they open-up about their mental health, while also looking after your mental health too.
Tom Madders, Campaigns Director at YoungMinds said, “Our ‘Not All On You’ campaign is all about recognising the often overlooked role young people play in supporting their friends with their mental health.
We want to give those young people the advice and support they need to be there for their friends, without feeling the pressure to take everything on themselves.
“Our partnership with wagamama has already been really successful in helping us reach more and more young people, and the Katsu Smoothie will certainly get people talking! We hope that as they walk and talk, our ‘Not All On You’ campaign will give them the tools to really help them to support each other.”
About the Katsu Smoothie, Steve Mangleshot, Global Exec Chef at wagamama said “When YoungMinds came to us and introduced us to their ‘Not All On You’ campaign, we knew we needed to get behind it and raise as much awareness as possible.
“We have seen our Katsu Curry being ordered as the ultimate comfort food during lockdown. So our challenge was how can we take our most iconic dish and create something that young people can enjoy on-the-go with a friend whilst we can’t welcome guests onto our benches.
“The Katsu Smoothie aims to spark everyone’s attention with something unexpected, and then deliver YoungMinds meaningful purpose to back it up.
The Katsu smoothie was created with one single goal – to get people talking about how they really feel.”
wagamama: our story and our food ‘kaizen’, meaning ‘good change’ is the philosophy that sits right at our heart. It shapes every dish we create, and pushes us to find better ways in all that we do. We’re restless spirits, forever creating and making things better.
We’ve been practising kaizen since 1992, when we opened our first doors in London’s Bloomsbury.
Inspired by fast-paced, Japanese ramen bars and a celebration of Asian food, wagamama burst into life. We set out to create a unique way of eating; bringing the fresh, nourishing, flavours of Asia to all.
To find out more please visit wagamama’s instagram and facebook page along with the YoungMinds website: youngminds.org.uk/supporting-friends