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Mama Shrooms, a British functional mushroom supplements brand founded by wellness cookbook author Gemma Ogston, has launched what it claims to be the UK’s first ‘wellness hot chocolate’ developed specifically for teenagers.

As well as writing for the wellness space, founder Ogston is a mental health ambassador for the charity YoungMinds, which focuses on teen wellness.

She said: “I created this because I’ve lived it. My daughter struggled with her mental health, and I felt completely helpless. Trying to get her support was incredibly difficult; we were told she wasn’t ‘unwell enough’. That moment changed everything. I wanted to create something real, practical, and supportive.”

The result is a vegan, gluten-free hot chocolate blend crafted with organic cacao, coconut milk, coconut sugar, functional mushrooms and essential vitamins. It contains no fillers, additives or artificial ingredients, designed to support both physical and mental wellbeing.

The ingredient blend includes several functional mushrooms – lion’s mane, which is said to improve clarity, focus and support the brain; reishi, which has a calming effect on the nervous system; chaga, for immune system support; and tremella, which is known for its hydration and skin support.

The drink also contains vitamins A, C, D and B, folic acid, zinc and biotin, all chosen to support teen development, hormonal health, energy and mood.

With a market increasingly interested in functional drinks, Mama Shrooms aims to carve out a niche that fuses wellness trends with an ‘often overlooked demographic’ in this sector.

Ogston explained: “The wellness industry often forgets teenagers. Or worse, it speaks down to them. Mama Shrooms is about flipping that narrative, helping teens feel seen, supported and capable of caring for themselves in small, empowering ways.”

To complement the product’s functional benefits, each pack of Teen Hot Chocolate includes simple, age-appropriate mental health tools, such as prompts and resources designed to encourage self-reflection and emotional resilience.

Mama Shrooms Teen Hot Chocolate is available now at Holland & Barrett stores across the UK and online.