Wagamama and Willy's Pies launch mushroom, kimchee, and edamame pie

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Food Service

Wagamama Partners With Willy’s Pies to Launch Vegan Mushroom, Kimchee and Edamame Pie

Japanese-inspired British restaurant chain Wagamama has partnered with pie brand Willy’s Pies to launch a new plant-based dish — the Mushroom, Kimchee and Edamame Pie. The pie contains king oyster mushrooms, diced aubergine, and edamame beans in a katsu curry sauce. It is topped with kimchee and served with a side salad, along with Wagamama’s raisukatsu sauce. The pie aims to fuse traditional British cuisine with Asian flavours. Wagamama and Willy’s Pies previously collaborated in November to create a chicken katsu pie, and have developed the new vegan option in line with Wagamama’s commitment to a 50% plant-based menu. The pies will be available at 19 selected Wagamama locations UK-wide; a tour truck will also bring free samples to various cities, in celebration of British …

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UK food service outlets launch new Veganuary options

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Food Service

From Bhajis to Bulgogi: UK Food Service Outlets Introduce New Veganuary Options

As Veganuary gets underway, many UK food service outlets are launching new menu options to cater to customers who are trying a plant-based diet. Here, we take a look at some of the newly introduced dishes. Leon Healthy fast food chain Leon is celebrating Veganuary with an updated plant-based menu. One new option is the Bangin’ Bhaji Wrap, which contains courgette and pea bhajis topped with Kachumber (an Indian salad), crispy onions, and herby mayo. Another new dish is the Rainbow Squash Salad, containing roasted butternut squash, herby mayo, pink kraut, greens, and grains, seasoned with Mediterranean-inspired spices. “Get ready for a line-up of plantilicious dishes that are not only a treat for the taste buds but are a treat for the gut too,” said …

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Wagamama veganuary

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Charity & Campaigns

Wagamama, Beyond Meat, and Wicked Kitchen Join New ’50 by 25′ Sustainable Dining Campaign

Animal rights charity Viva! and Emma Osborne, founder of Citizen Kind, have together launched a large-scale, two-year long initiative centred around sustainable dining called 50 by 25, which urges restaurants to make 50% of their menu plant-based by the end of 2025. Restaurants, hotels, coffee shops, food brands, distributors, wholesalers, professional chefs, and delivery services will all play an important role in kicking off this UK-based campaign. Brands Wagamama, Beyond Meat, and Wicked Kitchen have already pledged their support, joined by celebrities such as plant-based chef Derek Sarno, co-founder of Wicked Kitchen, and the multi-award-winning French chef (turned vegan) Alexis Gauthier. Wagamama’s menu is already 50% plant-based, and the 50 by 25 campaign is now calling for other restaurants to follow suit. As part of the …

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Food Service

Wagamama Launches Vegan K-Dogs, Hot Pots & More as Part of New Korean Menu

Asian-inspired restaurant chain Wagamama has launched a new Korean menu in the UK, featuring a variety of plant-based options. The first new addition is vegan K-dogs, previously trialled at the chain’s experimental Noodle Lab in London. The side dish consists of plant-based corn dogs coated in a noodle crumb and topped with sriracha and vegan turmeric mayo. Other new vegan sides include king oyster mushroom skewers and roti + raisukatsu; the latter is an Asian flatbread with a sauce that combines katsu and raisukaree flavours. New to the Big Plates menu is the Tofu Hot Pot, featuring tofu, tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), and vegetables in a Korean-inspired broth. Another new addition is the Silken Tofu Gochujang Rice Bowl, which combines vegetables, slaw and silken tofu …

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Food Service

Wagamama to Offer Vegan K-Dogs & “Pork” Tonkatsu at Noodle Lab in London

Japanese-inspired UK restaurant chain Wagamama is re-opening its experimental Noodle Lab in Soho, London, which will act as a test kitchen for recipe creation. In line with Wagamama’s commitment to be 50% plant-based, the Noodle Lab will feature new plant-based menu items, including vegan K-dogs (a popular Korean street food). The dish will consist of corn dogs coated in a noodle crumb and topped with sriracha, vegan turmeric mayo, chilli, coriander, and red pepper powder. Other menu options will be the ‘pork’ tonkatsu (consisting of deep-fried and breaded vegan pork) and plant-based pork buns made with jackfruit. Additionally, Wagamama will be experimenting with sustainable initiatives such as including cauliflower greens in stir-fries. “Relevant, sustainable & creative” The Noodle Lab will also reportedly be hosting collaborations …

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Vegan full English breakfast

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Food Service

Wagamama Adds Scrambled OGGS to Vegan Full English Breakfast

UK-based Japanese restaurant chain Wagamama has modified its vegan full English breakfast to include OGGS’ egg alternative instead of tofu. The dish, which was first launched in 2019, also features vegan bacon, jackfruit sausage, grilled tomato, katsu sweet potato, mushrooms, and a toasted hirata bun. Currently, it is only available at Wagamama’s airport locations (Manchester, Gatwick, and Heathrow). OGGS’ scrambled egg alternative is said to be the UK’s best-performing plant-based egg product. It is also available for retail, and was rolled out at almost every Sainsbury’s store last September following strong sales. 50% plant-based In 2021, Wagamama made 50% of its menu plant-based in an attempt to encourage customers to eat a more climate-friendly diet. The dishes on offer include vegan short rib ramen, no …

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Wagamama veganuary menu options

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Food Service

Wagamama, Domino’s, and Sushi Daily Reveal New Veganuary Menu Options

Three major food service chains in the UK — Wagamama, Domino’s, and Sushi Daily — have revealed their new Veganuary menu options for 2023. Wagamama Japanese-inspired chain Wagamama is offering a vegan version of its kare lomen dish, which features udon noodles in a spicy coconut broth with plant-based teriyaki chicken. The dish is topped with coriander, beansprouts, and cucumber, and will be available throughout January. For last year’s Veganuary, Wagamama offered vegan Japanese-inspired fish and chips. Over 50% of the chain’s menu is now plant-based, as part of the company’s mission to reduce its carbon emissions. Domino’s Meanwhile, Domino’s has launched the new Vegan American Hot pizza, topped with spicy pepperoni made by The Vegetarian Butcher along with red onions, vegan mozzarella, and green …

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ProVeg Wagamama

ProVeg International

Company News

Wagamama Promotes Plant-Based: A Case Study by ProVeg International

ProVeg International has recently published a case study exploring British restaurant chain Wagamama’s plant-based menu expansion. Wagamama is well-known for its Japanese-inspired menu, which is now 50% plant-based as part of its effort to mitigate climate change. The case study explores how and why Wagamama bosses decided to expand its plant-based range, and provides key tips for other food service businesses looking to expand their plant-based offerings. These recommendations include: Lead with flavour Showcase sustainability Consider the flexitarian consumer With over a quarter of British consumers looking to reduce their meat consumption, Wagamama’s move to increase the availability of plant-based dishes on its menu perfectly captures the zeitgeist of the moment while boosting its bottom line and popularity as an environmentally-friendly brand. According to Wagamama’s …

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wagamama

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Gastronomy & Food Service

Wagamama Confirms 50% of Menu Will Be Plant-Based By October

UK restaurant chain wagamama this week launches its ‘Plant Pledge’ a campaign to encourage guests to eat more plant-based dishes to help tackle the climate emergency, in response to the UN’s latest environmental report. In 2020, wagamama became the first major restaurant chain to offer vegan tuna, offering a product created with watermelon. For Veganuary this year the chain launched a range of new vegan menu options and stated its aim to make half its main menu options meatless by the end of 2021. Now, Global Executive Chef Steve Mangleshot and his team have confirmed that from 6th October, 50% of the menu will be officially plant-based. From this week wagamama is urging guests to pledge a ‘small choice for big change’, whether that’s trialling …

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Club Cultured Wagamama

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Products & Launches

Tempeh Missionaries: UK’s Club Cultured Launches New Vegan Dishes at Wagamama

Leading UK tempeh producer Club Cultured has announced a partnership with Asian-themed restaurant Wagamama. The deal means that Club Cultured will bring three new dishes to the UK chain’s menus in selected outlets. “At the time we were dreaming of working with Wagamama, we were experimenting with tempeh in a garden shed” Tempeh – made by culturing and fermenting soybeans – has not yet broken into the mainstream food consumer consciousness in the UK, but Club Cultured hopes that the new partnership will start to change that. Tempeh’s Asian origins as well as Wagamama’s commitment to plant-based dishes make this collaboration a natural fit. This year, Wagamama launched a special Veganuary menu and vowed to make half of its dishes meatless in 2021. Self-styled “Tempeh …

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