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

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 Pie Week from March 4-10. Tour locations will be announced soon.

“We’re so pleased to be working with Wagamama again – a lot of hard work and careful consideration has gone into making these pies taste as great as they do,” said Willy’s Pies founder Will Lewis. “We wanted to make something fun and innovative, without compromising on the flavour or quality Willy’s Pies is known for. We’re so excited to take these on tour and see what the rest of the nation thinks!”

“Impactful choices”

The new launch comes just two months after Wagamama introduced a new plant-based option, the lion’s mane “steak” bulgogi, for Veganuary. The chain also launched several new vegan dishes in October as part of its Korean menu; these include plant-based K-dogs, tofu hot pot, and a silken tofu gochujang rice bowl. Some of the dishes had previously been trialled at Wagamama’s experimental Noodle Lab in London.

In November, Wagamama announced it had joined a sustainable dining initiative called 50 by 25, launched by animal rights charity Viva! and Citizen Kind founder Emma Osborne. The initiative encourages other restaurants to follow Wagamama’s lead and make their menus 50% plant-based by 2025.

“We’re told by science that what we eat is one of the most impactful choices we all have to reduce our footprint on the environment. In 2021, we made 50% of our menu plant-based, making it easier for our guests to support the planet, whilst spreading positivity through our nourishing food, from bowl to soul,” said Steve Mangleshot, executive chef at Wagamama.