It seems we are now spending more time with our grandparents than before the pandemic and for over half (55%) this involves treating them to lunch, according to new research by YO!.
I was trying to think why I loved spending so much time with mine when they were alive, and the simple reason is, I just did. They were cool, down to earth and fun, just by being themselves. We also did a poll around the office to see what makes everyone’s Grandparents unique, here are the top 5 reasons……
- They support everything we do.
- They tell the best stories.
- They make me feel like a Tech Genius.
- No one cooks like Grandma.
- They always seems to have life prioritised just right.
So it’s pretty unanimous, our Grandparents are something very special.
This has prompted the Japanese food restaurant to launch a BYOG (Bring Your Own Grandparent) during the Easter holidays – meaning Grans and Grandads can try, and enjoy, Japanese food for free. (T&Cs at the bottom of the page).
Now it took my Nana around 70 years of her life before she stepped away from the meat and two veg thing, but when she did, she was hooked. So maybe this is a great time to treat your Grandparents (for free).
The move comes as YO! aims to introduce the older generation to international food, as research found that over half (51%) of over 55s hadn’t ever tried sushi, 75% hadn’t tried Vietnamese before and 19% hadn’t even tried an Indian curry (my Nana).
One in four (24%) over 55s admitted that they hadn’t tried the likes of sushi as they prefer to stick to ‘traditional British fayre’, whilst over a quarter (26%) said they were picky eaters and 5% admit to only eating ‘meat and two veg’.
Vietnamese was the least popular ‘international’ dish for Brits (75%), followed by Malaysian (74%), Jamaican (69%) and Japanese (58%).
Those in Northern Ireland are the pickiest eaters in the UK (44%), followed by Yorkshire (41%) and those in the Northeast with over 1 in 3 (34%) admitting to not trying sushi as they’re too picky.
The results have inspired YO! to invite grandparents into its restaurants to expand their taste buds into the world of sushi, katsu, gyoza, edamame and wasabi to find their new favourite dish and become a-fish-onados of Japanese cuisine.
Victoria Mathers, UK Head of Marketing at YO! told us……
“Japanese food isn’t as daunting as it may seem, it’s full of colourful and exciting flavours! We cater for all ages, so Grandparents are very welcome at YO! – we can’t wait to welcome as many as possible to dine for free, up to the value of £15, during the Easter holidays.”
“If you’re not sure what to try on your first visit, we suggest the Mixed Maki Plate, Vegetable Gyoza and of course some YO! fries. If you’re feeling brave, you could even give wasabi a go. We look forward to welcoming your Granny and Gramps to our restaurants, and hope they discover something new to tickle their taste buds.”
The move comes as YO! expands its menu this Spring, offering over 100 dishes to customers. A select group of Grandmas and Grandads were chosen to exclusively taste the menu first, resulting in hilarious footage showing them trying key elements of Japanese cuisine for the first time.
Forget When Harry Met Sally, it’s a film we have lovingly called, here in the office – When Granny Met Sushi……
The top 10 international cuisines that Brits haven’t tried:
- Vietnamese (75%)
- Malaysian (74%)
- Jamaican (60%)
- Japanese (49%)
- French (35%)
- Thai (33%)
- Mexican (30%)
- Spanish (28%)
- Indian (19%)
- Italian (12%)
The offer at YO! starts next Monday, all the details are below……
- Full T&Cs available at HERE
- Offer valid between Monday 11th April to Monday 18th April 2022 inclusive.
- One grandparent eats free up to the value of £15, for every £20 spent on food by the accompanying person.
- A maximum of two grandparents per table can eat for free.
- Grandparents must be dining with at least one grandchild.
- Discount is valid on food only, drinks are not included.
- Offer is valid at all YO! UK restaurants and is only valid when dining in. It is not valid on takeaway or delivery.
- Offer is non-transferable and not available in conjunction with any other offer (e.g. Blue Light, UNiDAYSetc.) There is no cash alternative.
- YO! manager’s decision is final. YO! reserves the right to remove or amend this offer at any time.
- You can search for your local dine in restaurant, delivery, collection and kiosk on the YO! website HERE