London pubs giving away Beavertown crisps for mental health

The Cheddar & Jalapeño-flavoured crisps, called 'Open Up', are a response to a research study showing that many Londoners hide their mental health struggles.

Beavertown Brewery commissioned the research, which highlighted that more than half (53 per cent) of adults in London have pretended to be ‘okay’ to avoid discussing their own mental health.

Furthermore, the research revealed that nearly two thirds believe there is still a stigma around mental health.

Beavertown Brewery teamed up with suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) to develop these limited-edition crisps.

The packets come with emotive questions and conversation prompts printed inside them, encouraging people to share their feelings.

The questions, designed by CALM, address subjects like, "What gets you through tough times?" and "If you could give your younger self advice, what would it be?" to help prompt deeper conversations among friends.

Actor Tom Davis supports the campaign (Image: Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM))

Actor Tom Davis is supporting the ‘Open Up’ campaign, having spoken about his own mental health struggles.

He said: "We often shy away from getting deep and opening up with our loved ones about what's going on in our lives, masking it with comedy — something I’ve done many times.

"These crisps give you that natural invitation to start sharing in a laid-back way, right there at the pub, which is the perfect place to do so if you ask me."

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Tom Rainsford, Beavertown Brewery’s marketing director, said: "Pubs are a place where we can come together with our mates to catch-up and chat, but that doesn’t mean we always feel able to be honest about how we really feel.

"Our research shows that nearly half of us don’t know how to start a conversation about mental health with our friends.

"We hope our Open Up crisps, created in partnership with CALM, will give people an opportunity to have an open chat with their friends."

Beavertown research found that more than a third of Londoners feel more at ease opening up at the pub (Image: Beavertown Brewery)

The crisps will be distributed for free at participating pubs across London on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays throughout April.

They will be available at Youngs pubs, as well as some independent pubs. You can find a map of all the pubs taking part here. 

Simon Gunning, CEO of CALM, said: "Our partnership with Beavertown is about finding ways to help us all feel more connected.

"And while there are things in life that can feel awkward to share - even with our best mates, crisps definitely aren’t one of them.

"With conversation starters inside, these Open Up crisps will help you share more than a tasty snack."

He added: "Checking in with your mate is one of the most important things you can do - it's not always obvious if someone is struggling, so together we’re finding ways to make important conversations part of our routine."

For more information, or to find your nearest participating pub, visit the Beavertown website.