Beavertown launches new campaign to help people 'open up'

Aptly named Open Up, the vegan cheddar and jalapeno flavoured snacks will be given away for free on Monday's, Tuesday's and Wednesday's during April in 260 participating Young’s pubs with a view to help people talk about how they are really feeling as part of a new campaign.

CALM CEO Simon Gunning 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.

Being honest 

“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”.

Research commissioned by the London-based brewer found more than half of the 2,000 UK adults surveyed have pretended to be ‘okay’ to avoid discussing their mental health as 60% felt there was a “stigma” around it.

The study also showed nearly three in ten (28%) of participants felt awkward sharing personal issues while 42% said they would feel more comfortable opening up to someone who had done so first.

However, many felt pubs provided safe spaces for discussions around mental health, with 30% of respondents stating they felt more at ease talking about mental health over a drink at the pub.

Beavertown Brewery marketing director Tom Rainsford 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 nearly half of us don’t know how to start a conversation about mental health with our friends.

Natural invitation 

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

Supporting the ‘Open Up’ campaign is English actor and comedian Tom Davis, who has openly documented his struggles with mental health.

Davis 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.

“The only downside is you do have to share your crisps, which I am fundamentally against, but you can always just get another bag."