M&S Unveils Mushroom Drinks & Brain Food

The Brain Food line is sure to appeal to consumers, considering the high volume of global searches for ‘brain health’ in the past year. To create the range, M&S collaborated with the British Nutrition Foundation to devise recipes to nourish the brain, using ingredients rich in omega-3 (DHA), iron, iodine, folate, zinc and vitamin B12.

The line includes 13 products, such as a salmon salad, mixed berry bars and a kefir shot. Each product contains at least two of the six key brain health nutrients, and all items qualify for the retailer’s Eat Well badge, awarded to healthy foods.

Meanwhile, Yay! Mushrooms features nine new drinks, including the Vanilla Latte with Lion’s Mane, and the AM and PM Shot Duo. The latter is a two-juice pack, consisting of a lion’s mane mushroom, ginger, lime and matcha shot, intended for the morning, and a cherry, coconut, camomile and reishi mushroom juice for the evening.

Reishi mushrooms have been recognised for their immune-boosting properties, while lion’s mane – the ‘smart mushroom’ – has been found to improve cognitive function and reduce brain fog. To select the best mushroom powders for the range, M&S worked with the UK’s botanic garden and scientific organisation Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

For more on the ingredients changing the health foods landscape, see Food + Health Trends 24/25. Also, read Look Ahead 2025: Food & Beverage for global trends in food consumption, including the rise of ‘food intellectuals’ pushing for more nutritious foods.