With how easy it is today to grab the essential miso paste and dashi stock, or go out for a bowl of ramen or sushi, it is hard to imagine that there was a time when Japanese ingredients and cuisine were a rarity. We have people like Stu Turner to thank for it! After returning to the UK following years working at a sushi bar in Australia, Stu found that the British culinary scene was truly missing that Japanese 7-spice! Thus was the start of SushiSushi, the UK’s leading supplier of Japanese premium ingredients and equipment. We talk to Stu about SushiSushi’s humble beginnings, his latest Japan adventures with two-star Michelin chef, Gareth Ward, and foodie recommendations from the experts themselves.
Hi Stu, thanks so much for joining us today. To start, please tell us a bit about yourself and the story behind SushiSushi.
In 2007 I was living in Australia and working in a takeaway sushi cafe where I got a taste for Japanese flavours and ingredients. Before then I hadn’t really experienced Japanese cuisine as it wasn’t something readily available outside London in the UK.
When I returned to my home town Sheffield, using my background in web design and coding, I built sushisushi.co.uk which started out as a blog to share my interests in Japanese food and culture. Quickly I found a lot of people with shared interest in Japanese food but places to buy ingredients and cookware were limited in the UK.
I sourced a few products locally, initially and built the first iteration of our sushi making kits which we could sell online using PayPal. When a wholesaler told me they were no longer stocking some of the products, I contacted their supplier in the US and he agreed to ship all of his stock to me to distribute in the UK. This then grew into a small eBay shop along with sushisushi.co.uk and as demand increased, we added a complete ecommerce element to the site and have been adding to our product range to what you find today.
Two-star Michelin Chef, Gareth Ward at Zenko-ji Temple in Nagano
We heard you recently came back from a trip to Japan with two-star Michelin Chef at Ynyshir, Gareth Ward - could you tell us more about that trip? Where did you go?
This was a fantastic trip and experience for us all. Gareth recently was voted the UK’s best chef at the GQ awards and uses many of our authentic Japanese ingredients in the cooking at his 2 Michelin Starred restaurants in Wales. But he had never been to Japan before. He was very keen to experience how these products were made first hand and wanted to show his team too.
So we set out on a voyage of discovery! Of course, I have been to Japan many times so I could help connect this great chef with some of my friends who run some of the oldest food companies in Japan, such as Shibanuma Shoyu in Ibaraki and Yawataya Isogoro Spices from Nagano.
We visited both producers and sampled many local cuisines and old restaurants trying washoku (traditional Japanese cuisine), soba, ryotei (high-class restaurants) and many other things. We also got the most out of Tokyo visiting markets, trying high-end sushi in Ginza, omakase luxury yakitori in Setagaya and even the izakayas of Asakusa.
Ynyshir head chef at Shibanuma Shoyu factory marvelling at a large barrel of soy sauce during fermentation and maturation stage of brewing
That trip is just one of many you often take to visit local suppliers and source products in Japan; what has been/is your favourite prefecture to visit and why?
Oh that is so hard to answer as each prefecture has its own special charm. I’ve visited many places, but I’ve been to Nagano prefecture the most. I fell in love with the scenery and local food. Onsen (hot spring) culture and even skiing in the winter make it a great choice. Plus you can access Nagano easily from Tokyo on the Shinkansen (bullet train).
The sun setting on Lake Suwa in Nagano
As SushiSushi approaches its 16th year, you’ve worked with an impressive number of Japanese suppliers and chefs; tell us, whose story has made the biggest impact on you so far?
I keep coming back to Shibanumu Shoyu and the history dating back to 1688. I have visited the factory many times including taking chef Gareth there recently. You really can taste the heritage in the shoyu and the fact Shibanuma-san is such a fun, friendly and hospitable person really makes the difference.
Stu, Gareth and Ynyshir chefs outside of Shibanuma Shoyu factory, proud producers of traditional Japanese soy sauce for 320 years and 18 generations
Where in Japan would you recommend to foodie travellers who are looking to get under the skin of Japan’s food scene and explore more local cuisines?
I think it depends on the length of time you have in Japan. Anything under 3 days, I would say just stay in Tokyo. You can find many representations of regional food in Tokyo so if you’re pressed for time then this is the best option as there is so much there. With 7 days, maybe you can try Tokyo and Kyoto. With 2 weeks, I think the Shinkansen pass for foreigners is the best option Then you can start in Fukuoka and try Tonkotsu ramen and gyoza in a yatai (Japanese food stall) and spend the 2 weeks travelling up through the country, finishing in Sapporo and binge on ikura (squid) and uni (sea urchin)!
The gang at a soba restaurant in the mountains of Nagano
Do you have any veggie or vegan sushi recommendations in Japan?
I think Shojin Ryori in a monastery is a super interesting experience, plus anything matcha related or tea ceremony. I think Kyoto would be a good option for vegetarians as the vegetables are amazing as are the pickles.
Gareth striking the same pose as the Ushiku Daibutsu Buddha statue in Ibaraki
Out of all the ingredients SushiSushi has available, which holds a special place in your heart and why?
For me it has to be our Tomato Ponzu. Because it’s one of the first unique products I found when I was travelling outside of Tokyo. It was on Shikoku island. They're only a small producer, so unless I travelled there, I would never have found it.
The experience at a 'ryotei' (high-class traditional Japanese restaurant) in Tsukuba, Ibaraki
Where in the UK would you recommend to grab some top-notch Japanese food?
I think London is hard to beat for Japanese food in the UK. You can get ramen, sushi, even katsu curry!
Are there any exciting future SushiSushi projects down the line that you can share?
Yes, we’re launching 2 own brand ranges made using 100% Japanese ingredients.
The first brand is called Shokunin (職人). Featuring very high end, artisan products from our connections with ancient Japanese producers. Shokunin will bring the real taste of authentic Japanese food products to chefs and home cooks looking for premium products.
Our other brand is called Kōmi (香味). This is a more accessible brand that is aimed at the foodservice industry. Still maintaining our standards of 100% made in Japan, Kōmi gives more people access to authentic Japanese flavour.
To hear Stu and other food experts talk more about Japanese cuisine, be sure to follow Stu's Instagram and SushiSushi's YouTube channel! And don't forget to check out the SushiSushi website and Instagram for the latest prenium Japanese ingredients, UK chef stories and exciting Japan-fan foodie projects!
