In addition to our emphasis on working sustainably with our suppliers, we also place great focus on the ingredients and condiments made in-house. At the heart of many of these is our Koji; a traditional Japanese fermentation starter created from steamed rice. Known for its umami-rich flavour balanced with sweet and nutty notes, we love the complexity it creates in our dishes while retaining an emphasis on health.

Koji serves as the base for a number of condiments including our soy-koji, shio-koji and amazake. Shio-koji is a savoury seasoning and marinade known for its ability to tenderise proteins and generating umami acids, resulting in a rich, tangy flavour. If you’ve had one of our steaks you may have noticed the deep flavour that comes from curing it with koji before we dry-age it in house, and also in our baked cabbage finished with shio-koji miso. Amazake is a sweet condiment known for its natural sweetness that reduces the amount of sugar typically used in marinades. Though it’s perfect for desserts, we also use it in savoury dishes such as our Amazake soy marinated black cod.

That’s not all. We are working on a roasted koji ice cream which has an amazing, nutty flavour. And as part of our commitment to blending British ingredients with Japanese recipes, we are developing a Japanese-style fish sauce made using our koji and Cornish sardines.