text.skipToContent text.skipToNavigation
  1. Home
  2. Lockhart Catering Blog
  3. Orient Express
Orient Express Main

As food trends go, it would have been a hard one to predict...

As food trends go, it would have been a hard one to predict...

The Trend

Sushi is now one of the most popular take-away dishes in the UK, with some surveys even placing it ahead of perennial favourites like Chicken Tikka Masala, while the ground-breaking ‘YO! Sushi’ chain continues to expand and now has over 70 restaurants throughout the UK ranging from Plymouth to Aberdeen. But how has this archetypal Japanese dish managed to catch the imagination of the nation?

It’s fair to say that the British were slow to develop a taste for Japanese food even though the origins of Sushi itself go back well over two thousand years. In its original form it’s a Chinese invention dating back to around 500BC but by 600AD it had become more popular in Japan and it was the Japanese who gradually developed it into the form we recognise today.

The introduction of refrigeration to Japan in the early 20th century proved an important part in this development as it meant that chefs didn’t have to cook the fish anymore leading to Sushi’s popular image as raw fish. But the first Japanese restaurant in London didn’t open until 1974 and it would be another decade still before Sushi really started to enter the popular consciousness as a trendy ‘statement food’ to serve in high-powered business meetings in the 1980’s.

In many respects the latter was the breakthrough that Sushi needed and led to its growing popularity as a canapé or party-food. But arguably the big change came in 1994 with the opening of ‘Moshi Moshi’ in London which introduced the full-blown conveyor-belt style of Sushi restaurant, which had been popular in Tokyo for over 30 years, to an intrigued UK consumer. Twenty-two years later and Sushi can be found on the menu of several leading mainstream restaurant chains while specialist Sushi bars can be found the length and breadth of the UK.

Find out more on Trend Set.co.uk

So perhaps the time has come to get on-board and think about introducing Sushi to your menu? Have a look at our free online copy of Trend Set Magazine. Hopefully what you see on these pages will inspire you.

Featured Products in this article

1a. Peppercorn Grey Oblong Plate: BH622PG
1b. Mustard Seed Oblong Plate: BI276
2a. Jet Evolution Tray: BB989JT
2b. Sand Evolution Rice Bowl: BB900SA
3 - 9. Mercer Asian Collection Knives: Visit Mercer Shop
10. Sake Jug: DD805
11. Sake Cup: DD806
12. Black Solid Bowl: BG679
13. Black/Red Solid Bowl: BG678
14. Slateware Cheeseboard: DE568
15. Sushi Making Machine Roller: ED048


Comments

Lockhart Catering on 23 August 2016 12:00 AM

Latest Blogs

preview image
15 March 2024
preview image
14 March 2024
preview image
14 March 2024
preview image
13 March 2024

Categories

Baking
Budget
Buyer's Guides
Buying Guides
Chefs
Competitions
Continental Chef Supplies
Education
Events
Guest Articles
Hints & Tips
Industry News
Infographics
Insight
Interviews
Jobs
London Innovation Centre
National Chef Of The Year
New Products
News
Quizzes
Recipes
Restaurants
Schools
Services
Surveys
Sustainability
Themes
Uncategorized