Uramaki
Uramaki Sushi is a Nottingham-based luxury sushi producer, producing boxes for home consumption described as ‘a twist on a box of chocolates’.
Previous to this project Uramaki Sushi hand delivered their product to homes within a 15-mile radius of their production site. The inability to distribute more widely acted as a bottleneck holding back business growth. They wanted to use a courier service with insulated boxes to reach customers further afield but needed to adapt their packaging to achieve this. The existing format of the box was ‘eco-friendly’, and this was something they wanted to maintain.
Other concerns were replacing the plastic sachets of wasabi, soy sauce and ginger for packaging with a more premium feel in line with the brand.
Support from the Food Innovation Centre has been really helpful for us. We were a new business in lockdown and if you haven’t got the skill base to solve particular challenges or don’t know how to get the information that you need, it’s really helpful to be able to speak to someone like Jack. It’s someone believing in your vision and helping you to reach the next step
Project brief
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Identify the challenges with shipping fresh sushi nationally.
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Develop and source appropriate packaging.
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Advise on nutrition testing + labelling for retail sale of product.
The response
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Reviewing the existing packaging revealed that the sushi had too much space to move around which would likely result in the product falling apart when being couriered. Also, the condiment packets were loose in the box which meant that they could move in transit. Solutions needed to be food safe with good water barrier properties to avoid staining and migration of undesirable flavours and microbes.
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An appropriately sized cardboard box was sourced that would prevent the sushi moving about too much. For a condiment holder, moulded plastic and cut and folded cardboard options were explored. As the more easily recycled option, a cardboard holder was developed with a local packaging company. A PET soy sauce bottle and metal tins gave the box a premium feel to match the product.
- Labelling advice tailored to the specific requirements of a sushi product was given and contact details provided for nutrition testing labs.
Benefit to the business
The company has now expanded, by introducing UK-wide delivery, after receiving expert advice from the Food Innovation Centre. This has allowed them to bring their high-end sushi to customers across the country.