Leisure club opens new pop up restaurant in aid of mental health

David Lloyd Clubs - which has branches nationwide - has teamed up with individuals from the nutrition and design fields in order to create The Good Plates.

The restaurant aims to expand people’s knowledge about mental health in more interactive and enjoyable ways, with the idea developed from research indicating that there is a link between certain foods and mental well-being.

Andrew Clarke, The Good Plates chef, said: “From personal experience, my own mental well-being benefitted from a change in diet. The gut is often referred to as a second brain and some would argue, it is actually the first.

A good diet is essential to better mental health. It’s not a cure, but it’s a fighting chance.”

Andrew has created a six course sharing menu with expert advice from nutritional therapist, Ian Marber.

One of the dishes on the menu includes: cauliflower, almond miso, black beluga lentils and curry butter - some ingredients that are said to help with feelings of stress and anxiety.

Ian said: “Nutrition can be a powerful tool in supporting not just our physical health but our mental health too.”

“These nutrients are highlighted by The Good Plates menu and show how you can create delicious food that delivers optimum nutrition to help how we feel and function.”

Mental well-being has been at the forefront from the beginning - from the food, the decor, the communal seating, to the conversational prompts provided to diners - and profits from The Good Plates will also go to mental health charity, Mind.

Andrea Dearden, David Lloyd Clubs spokesperson, said: “The Good Plates restaurant is not an attempt to be a cure or quick-fix for mental health difficulties, but instead simply be a warm and welcoming place where people can learn in an interactive way how certain foods, surroundings and conversations can complement positive mental wellbeing when they form part of everyday life.”

For more information, see here.