About ichiban

The leading producer of high quality authentic sushi for the UK

ichiban UK is a privately owned sushi manufacturer producing own label and branded sushi for the UK market. We have been one of the UK’s largest sushi producers for almost two decades and moved to our current site in Earl Stonham, Suffolk in 2007. Operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, we are a well-equipped and heavily invested site that specialises in the art of making sushi for leading UK retailers and supermarkets.

What ichiban means is ‘number one’ in Japanese, and that’s what we always aim to be! We employ over 450 staff on our site from Production Operatives to Engineers, which allows us to complete the whole process of manufacturing from start to finish here in Suffolk.

Our Vision
“To build and maintain a profitable, customer-focused food business through high quality, innovative products that are an inspiration to the market and which will appeal to all generations.”

Quality
Here at ichiban UK, we pride ourselves on the high quality of the sushi we produce and believe customers should have the best possible product. Our view is that this should never be compromised, therefore we have a dedicated team of Quality Assessors working round the clock to ensure all our products meet the high standards we have in place. Our site maintains BRC AA Accreditation as well as a 5 star EHO food safety rating.

Authenticity
Japanese authenticity is at the heart of everything we do at ichiban. We use traditional Japanese methods in the production of our sushi, topping all our nigiri blocks by hand so that every topping is placed accurately and neatly on the block of rice. Last year we topped 21 million nigiri blocks, all done by hand!

We top all our nigiri blocks by hand so that every topping is placed accurately and neatly on the block of rice. Last year we topped 21 million nigiri blocks, all done by hand! Our salmon and mackerel nigiri pieces are also all hand cut by our expertly trained fish cutters to ensure each piece is cut to perfection.

Innovation
A company with creativity at the core of our values, our enthusiasm for bringing innovative sushi products to the market never fades. We are proud to have received customer awards for our development work, and for our products themselves; but the real award lies in seeing our products being enjoyed by consumers across the country. Our team work with a customer focused and creative attitude to develop products that give an innovative and Western twist on traditional Japanese sushi. We believe in working together with our suppliers to bring new and exciting products into the sushi market.

Market Knowledge
Here at ichiban we pride ourselves on really understanding the sushi market and why people love to buy sushi. It’s that knowledge that helps us work together with our retail partners to build better product ranges that our customers really want to buy.

Environment

Our factory nestles in the heart of idyllic Suffolk countryside, we are continuously aware of the environment around us and our impact upon it. We are committed to becoming a greener company and have set the following targets in place to achieve this:

• 15% Carbon reduction over the next 3 years
• 5% Water use reduction over the next 3 years
• Installation of biomass boiler in 2015 to reduce CO2 levels by 665 tonnes
• 99.9% of our waste is recycled

Work for ichiban

Give us a call to join our team.

Many of our team have followed a proven career pathway at ichiban UK from factory floor to management positions via continued training and development.

We work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so there is a good chance we have a vacancy on a shift to suit you.

If you’d like to join our team or find out a little more about the opportunities here, give our recruitment team a call on 01449 710936 to discuss further.

Alternatively, if you would like the opportunity to develop your career with a forward thinking employer then please download an application form and send it to the HR Department at ichiban UK, Church Farm, Earl Stonham, Suffolk, IP14 5EE or via email. 

Temporary / Agency Work
If you prefer temporary work, then please contact our labour partner, Stafforce, on 01442 926000 www.stafforce.co.uk

Apprenticeship Opportunities
Contact recruitment@ichibanuk.com, or www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk for more information or check out the website of our apprenticeship partner, West Suffolk College www.wsc.ac.uk