‘SMASH’ – New Food Discount App Launched To Inspire Young People To “Save Money And Stay Healthy”

SMASH – the food discovery app to inspire young people to “save money and stay healthy” – has launched in the UK today. With one in three children overweight or obese by the time they leave primary school – increasing to one in two by the time they reach 24 years old – SMASH aims to increase demand for healthier food. 

The free app enables the UK’s 9 million 13 to 24-year-olds to eat well and save up to 20% at the places they buy food and love to eat. It’s backed by a range of investors, including Impact on Urban Health, and is developed with the support of youth advisors from Jamie Oliver’s Bite Back 2030.

SMASH launches with over 300 products from 55 food brands – from high street restaurants such as Zizzi, Wahaca, Tortilla and YO! Sushi to snack time favourite Graze, Whitworth’s, Ugly Drinks and plant-based champions THIS, Meatless Farm and The Coconut Collaborative – and is calling on other pioneering businesses to get involved

SMASH is a safe space to discover better-for-you food and drink options that taste great. All the products listed on SMASH meet a nutritional framework developed by nutritionist Jenny Rosborough, inspired by Public Health England’s calorie allowance for grocery items through to everyday meals and restaurant occasions as well as setting maximum limits for saturated fat, sugar and salt.

Young people can access discounts through scanning a QR code on the go, downloading online discount codes for food delivered to their door, or downloading and printing coupons ahead of time to use as cash in major supermarkets. 

How to use SMASH:

  • Sign up – with facial age scan technology powered by Yoti. It’s as easy as taking a selfie. This is to prove you’re under 25 (so your nan doesn’t steal your discount!)

  • Browse for better food options – scan a curated menu of food on the go and see what savings you can make at nearby participating retailers 

  • Tailor it to you – filter by format, price, retailer and dietary requirements (e.g., vegan, gluten-free)

  • Scan in store to unlock up to 20% off – order as usual, scan your QR code and watch as the price magically falls 

  • “SMASH and Share” – Use SMASH 5 times in a month and SMASH will make a donation on your behalf to our charity partner, FareShare, who are fighting hunger and tackling food waste.

  • SMASH Playlists – to inspire your mood for food & drink, themed  lists of tasty treats compiled by SMASH and guest editors

  • Unlock other offers – hit milestones to get special offers and foodie aware

Founded by Chris Holmes, a former director at KFC, where he set up the Colonel’s Club loyalty scheme and Ask Italian, where he was Managing Director, SMASH was born out of the idea of creating a “young person’s railcard” for better food. 

Chris comments: “Young people want healthier, more-balanced food but they can’t pick these options if they are out of reach. We need to make it easier for young people to find better food that is just as affordable and  desirable to eat as chocolate & chips -and  this is where SMASH helps. The fact over 50 brands have come together in such a short space of time to support our mission fills me with optimism that by working together to shine a light on better food options, we can help all our young adults to live healthier lives.

“It’s about inspiring young people to make small healthy changes. With young people eating out or snacking on the go up five times a week, we have over 2.2. billion healthier eating opportunities to inspire every day.  Together with our partners, we hope to make foods more accessible, affordable and engaging whilst showing food brands that better food can be better business.” continued Chris.

Thomasina Miers, co-founder of Wahaca, commented: “With sustainably-sourced ingredients from some brilliant British suppliers, at Wahaca we are constantly striving to get the best ingredients into our food. Our fresh, vibrant menu offers plenty of healthier choices, and so we couldn’t be happier to be partnering with SMASH to encourage young people to be eating well while saving money at the same time.” 

Whitworths Head of Brand and Digital, Baz Goode comments: “The partnership with SMASH is a no-brainer for us, we’re totally behind their ethos and what they stand for. Their mission and our purpose to help everyone eat a little healthier every day is perfectly aligned. We believe that it’s our responsibility as a healthier brand to break down barriers, particularly for younger people, to access great-tasting nutritious snacks. I’m really excited to be working with such a forward-thinking purpose driven brand as SMASH.

“Our customers, particularly those aged between 13 to 25 years, deserve the opportunity to be able to make healthier choices when it comes to impulsive snacking throughout their day in all retail channels.  We’ve seen a shift in the snack category towards snacks that deliver on nutrition and taste, as they remain the most important factor for our customers.”

Sarah Hickey, Programme Director, Childhood Obesity, Impact on Urban Health

said: “Advertising for High Fat, Salt and Sugar items are taking centre stage. This has a negative impact on young people’s diets, and long-term health. We’re excited to back a mission-led business that can help disrupt this status quo. SMASH helps young people to navigate the food options around them, promoting and making more affordable the healthier items in the places where they eat and socialise; we think this can contribute to more equitable access to nutritious diets.”

20 year-old Tasha Mhakayajora, a board member of campaigning organisation, BiteBack 2030: “Currently young people are up against a flood of unhealthy food options, from their high street, supermarket shelves, school canteen – from everywhere,” she says. “We need to stem this tide of unhealthy food options. We want to make sure that we’re creating as many opportunities as possible for young people to have access to food that is nutritious and affordable. That’s where SMASH comes in and why I think it’s such a brilliant way to bring food businesses into the fold.”

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