Delivering premium Japanese products

Today, anybody with an interest in Japanese cooking can pop to their local supermarket and find most of the staple ingredients like dashi, soy sauce, udon noodles, sushi rice, mirin, and miso paste huddled together on their own shelf in the ‘World Cuisines’ section. Back when SushiSushi first started trading – way back in 2007 – this was rarely the case.

As one of the few suppliers specialising in this area, we soon developed a reputation for excellence and dedicated clientele that includes some of the finest professional chefs in the country. As East Asian ingredients have become more popular, those same chefs – several with Michelin stars to their name – continue to rely on us for their produce, knowing we can be trusted to deliver quality every time.

A taste for Japan

The company was founded by Stu Turner after returning to his native city of Sheffield following years spent in Australia and Asia. While living in Australia, he worked in a sushi bar and was captivated by the range of flavours, aromas, and textures to be found in this staple of Japanese cuisine.

When he came back to the North of England there was nothing like that to be found, much to his dismay. Since there was nothing around to satisfy his passion for Japanese cooking, he decided to do something about it himself.

From humble beginnings

The SushiSushi website started more as a blog for fellow sushi-lovers, providing information and recipes for creating authentic Japanese cuisine in your own home.

Wondering if there was a market for Japanese ingredients and equipment in the UK, Stu purchased six sushi-making gadgets from a wholesaler and set-up a single sales page on the site. Those six simple devices sold out almost immediately, so Stu returned to the wholesaler to purchase more… and more… and more.

Before long, he had bought and resold the entire stock of these gadgets and still more orders were coming in. With the wholesaler’s stocks depleted, Stu took the bold step of contacting the manufacturer directly, persuading them to let him act as a UK wholesaler. With an ample supply of the gadgets he began packaging them with sushi rice and nori purchased from local supermarkets, creating all-in-one sushi-making kits for his customers.

Direct from the source

Ever since his first experience with that sushi-making gadget, Stu has continued to make direct contact with suppliers and producers across Japan.

He is a regular visitor to the country, seeking out the best and most interesting products to bring back for his UK customers.

A grand selection of ingredients

SushiSushi now boasts more than 1000 individual products in our online store. This ranges from everyday ingredients used in hundreds of Japanese dishes to premium food and drink products purchased almost exclusively by our clients working in world-class commercial kitchens. However specialised the ingredients or equipment, one thing unites them all – the quality.

From family dinners to fine dining

SushiSushi has always sold ingredients and equipment direct to the general public – to fellow Japanese cooking enthusiasts across the country. With a reputation for quality, Stu soon developed a relationship with some of the UK’s top chefs, supplying them with exciting Japanese ingredients to use in their dishes. At present, we supply four out of the UK’s seven three-Michelin-starred restaurants, eleven of its seventeen two-Michelin-starred restaurants, and a large number of one-Michelin-starred restaurants into the bargain.

Stu’s extensive knowledge of Japanese ingredients – particularly the more niche products – makes him the perfect guy to speak to for chef’s looking to create a particular flavour profile..

The hunt for quality produce

Supplying to restaurants of this level means it’s essential that every product offered by SushiSushi is of the highest quality, which is why a huge amount of time and effort goes into sourcing the finest ingredients Japan has to offer.

Stu usually travels to Japan three or four times a year looking for new products to stock in our online store and meet the producers in person. Stu attends trade shows to discover the latest trends in the Japanese food industry and to network with the hundreds of trade representatives at each event. He also works with the Japanese government to arrange travel to different regions in the country.

These regional visits are the most exciting for Stu as this is where the truly specialist ingredients can be found – ones that only come from a single farm, factory, or production centre in the country

Quality ingredients for all

Here at SushiSushi, we believe that everybody should have the opportunity to lay their hands on high-quality Japanese ingredients. At the same time, we understand how difficult that can be if you don’t know what to be on the look out for.

That’s where we come in.

Sourcing exceptional ingredients from some of the most well-established and respected companies in Japan is a labour of love for us. We do all the investigation and legwork so that you don’t have to. No wonder we are considered the go-to company for Japanese ingredients – not only by some of the UK’s world-class chefs, but also by home cooks looking to incorporate their unique flavours into their own dishes.

Equipment, ceramics and utensils

Japanese cooking is about more than just the food – it is an entire experience that requires the right accessories to appreciate fully. That’s why, in addition to supplying quality ingredients to our customers, we also stock Japanese knives, tableware, and kitchen equipment, all hand-picked to meet the same high standards as our food and drink products.