UK consumption of sushi has soared by over 500% in recent years. AF Member ichiban is the UK’s largest sushi manufacturer. Read what we found when we paid them a visit to see how they can make even more of their AF membership.
The scale of the ichiban operation is incredible. We watched some of the 290 staff who work around the clock in their factory near Stowmarket to perfect each roll, much of it done by hand.
Specialist machinery, imported from Japan, ensures precision and efficiency at every step.
ichiban is a key player in the UK’s retail food sector, supplying sushi to major supermarkets like Tesco. Our visit (by AF Account Manager Caroline de Feyter, Fuels Strategy Procurement Manager Helen Thurtle and Crop Inputs Specialist Diego de Ugarte) gave us a behind-the-scenes look at their incredible production process.
Our team were impressed by the scale of the ichiban operation.
Beyond being thoroughly impressed, our goal was to identify where AF’s expertise can add value and ensure ichiban maximises the benefits of belonging to AF, beyond their existing spend on fuel.
Effort for excellence
To us, one of the most striking aspects of the sushi creation process is the team’s total commitment to hygiene and safety. ichiban maintains some of the highest cleanliness standards in food manufacturing, dedicating over half their production time to rigorous cleaning protocols.
It goes without saying that we donned full PPE - head to toe - to maintain their exceptional hygiene standards to ensure all sushi stays fresh and safe.
What AF offers a fast-growing premium food manufacturer
Our discussions with Julie, who leads their procurement, reveal that the ichiban team wear many hats, each of them managing multiple responsibilities across the business. She is keen to work with AF to streamline purchasing, payroll and save valuable time.
We offer benchmarking on key products they’re keen to procure through AF, to demonstrate great potential for AF to help ichiban with inputs beyond just fuel.
Looking ahead
Apart from getting a taste for the story of sushi, our visit reinforced the importance of seeing a Member’s businesses. It’s the best way to truly understand their needs and find ways to add value.
Next on the menu
We’re putting together detailed benchmarking insights for ichiban to facilitate further discussions, expand our collaboration and deliver even more savings.
Visits like these ensure our Members get the most out of their AF membership. By taking the time to meet, listen, and explore opportunities, we strengthen partnerships and reaffirm AF’s role as your trusted procurement partner.
The three of us from AF, that’s Caroline, Helen and Diego, admitted to each other before the visit we were not great fans of sushi. What do we feel now? Well, we both loved the ichiban sushi we sampled and have appetite for more.
The next time you pick up sushi over a sandwich, it may well be a delicious offering prepared by a fellow AF Member!
In the meantime, if you’d like us to visit your business, we’d love to see how you operate and find ways to help you succeed! Get in touch with your AF Account Manager accountmanager@af.farm 01603 881 903.
