Popular Japanese restaurant chain Wagamama has opened a series of community hubs in London and the south of England to support children and families by giving away free meals during the cost-of-living crisis.
Launched in partnership with food charity The Bread and Butter Thing, the initiative is part of a wider campaign to distribute one million free meals to families who have been hit the worst by rising living costs.
Following success at community hubs in Ashton Moss, Didsbury and Manchester, Wagamama has since expanded the initiative and opened community hubs in London at its Wandsworth and Islington restaurants. It has also opened community hubs in Swansea, Colchester, Trowbridge and Ipswich.
Those who would like to receive access to free meals can do so on a booking basis, with a maximum of four tickets available per person. Children are entitled to receive a free main course, while a selection of hot teas, coffees and sides are available on the house for adults. Wagagama will also be giving out activity packs to keep little ones occupied while parents enjoy some much-needed rest and relaxation time.
The hubs at both the Wandsworth and Islington sites will be running once a week until 7 February, from 3-5pm.
Speaking about the campaign, Wagamama CEO Thomas Heier commented: ‘At Wagamama we believe in the Japanese philosophy of seijaku; finding calm and tranquillity in the midst of activity. In these challenging times it is important that we all continue to nourish ourselves and our communities. Typically, every veganuary we like to surprise and delight our guests with a plant-based showstopper, but we know this veganuary is a little bit different for families across the UK, so it is a privilege this year to support local communities through our newly launched partnership with The Bread and Butter Thing.’
The Bread and Butter Thing was set up in 2016 to bring low-cost food to low-income communities. Currently sitting at 40,000 members, and redistributing food to over 5,000 families as week, the charity is able to offer food to those in need for a fraction of the cost by working directly with manufacturers and retailers.
If you would like to book tickets for one of the community hub sessions, you can do so via the links for Wandsworth, Islington, Trowbridge, Swansea and Ipswich.