Press photo. /wagamama
wagamama partners with Willy’s Pie in new menu launch
It will only be available in 19 restaurants.
wagamama and Willy’s Pies have partnered to roll out the new Chicken Katsu Pie and the plant-based pie with Mushroom, Kimchee and Edamame in 19 locations across the UK.
Willy’s Pies is the creation of ex St John's & Brat chef, Will Lewis, who after being furloughed from his job started making ready to bake pies from his home kitchen and selling them online. The business grew nad soon Will was selling 250 pies in 2 minutes via a weekly drop on their website.
The partnership was a product of wagamama’s noodle lab restaurant and is the latest in a series of surprising and innovative fusions that have been popping up all over the food scene in recent months.
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Centred around wagamama’s iconic katsu sauce, Willy’s Pies have packaged the legendary sauce within a flaky, indulgent pastry. Inside, the pie is filled with succulent chicken and fresh vegetables. The pie is paired with wagamama’s zingy katsu side salad and ‘pink pickles’.
Following the success of the Chicken Katsu Pie, it’s joined on the menu by its plant-powered peer, the Mushroom, Kimchee and Edamame Pie. Willy’s Pies and Steve Mangleshot, wagamama’s Global Executive Chef have created pastry magic, packing bold Asian flavours inside a vegan, flaky crust. The pie is full of smoky king oyster mushrooms, rich diced aubergine and fresh edamame beans, coated in an indulgent and satisfying spicy curry sauce. On top, the pie is then encrusted with tangy kimchi for the ultimate flavour bomb.
The new menu will only be available in 19 restaurants across the UK. Guests will be able to get their hands on the pies in locations including specific sites in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham, Cardiff, Reading, Brighton, Southend and Chelmsford.
“It was a lot of fun working with the brilliant Will Lewis and the Willy’s Pies team back in November when we created the Chicken Katsu Pie for noodle lab. We’re thrilled to be bringing this iconic hybrid and its new vegan counterpart to wagamama’s across the UK. Collaborating with leading innovators like Willy and experimenting with talk-worthy dishes keeps wagamama relevant and fresh,” Mangleshot said.
Going beyond the new menu, wagamama has worked with local Glaswegian artist, Trackie McLeod who has designed a custom artwork for the Where’s Willy tour bus and a window vinyl for the Glasgow City Centre restaurant which includes the phrase ‘say aye to a pie’.
As part of wagamama’s ongoing commitment to supporting their local communities, along with Willy’s Pies, they are partnering with local football teams from across the UK.
