Wagamama launches katsu smoothie

The drink contains katsu curry sauce

(Wagamama)

British restaurant chain Wagamama has launched a limited edition katsu smoothie.

The smoothie is made from the perhaps controversial combination of katsu curry sauce, apple, banana and pineapple.

Wagamama said the product’s launch was part of a mental health campaign, in partnership with mental health charity YoungMinds.

The brand said that the product, unlike its katsu curry, was designed to be enjoyed on-the-go with a friend in a bid to encourage socialising, and that all proceeds would be donated to YoungMinds.

Wagamama’s katsu curry sauce is a fan favourite but the savoury flavour, key to the restaurant’s chicken katsu curry, is a more unlikely bedfellow for a fruit smoothie.

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The sauce has such a cult following that, during the first lockdown, Wagamama released a video tutorial revealing how to make its chicken katsu curry at home.

The tutorial was part of a video series, titled Wok From Home, led by the restaurant chain’s executive chef, Steve Mangleshot.

Speaking about the new smoothie, Mangleshot said: “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.”

The drink will be available for click and collect at 20 restaurants, located in university cities around the UK, between 24 March and 7 April.

Earlier this month, Wagamama’s owner The Restaurant Group (TRG) asked shareholders for a £175m war chest to help the group survive lockdown and acquire more pubs and restaurants at the end of the pandemic.

The group revealed that sales had fallen 57 per cent to £459.8m in 2020 as restaurants were forced to close for much of the year.

TRG’s pre-tax losses grew to £127.6m, compared to a £37.3m loss in 2019.

The group warned that the potential duration of lockdown rules and the pandemic would “materially impact” its ability to reduce its debt pile or invest in growth.

The company closed about 250 sites during the pandemic, mostly affecting its Frankie & Benny’s, Chiquito and Food & Fuel brands.