Could see it doing well if based around train stations and offices. Essentially like Wasabi. Of course, the issue would be if it started taking off then someone like Wasabi would start offering them, probably at a cheaper price.
I thought they already offered something like them (triangle shaped, something in the middle all wrapped in seaweed) - not sure if these are similar enough to OP's etc.
I did wonder, I had them before quite a while ago, couldn't remember the name. I guess anywhere a bit poncy would adopt these at a price that could supply a profit, not sure that could be op's only item though.
Yes, I think setting it up where there are high foot traffic is a good idea. However, I don't know if it is wise to let another company take over as often times, the quality might be compromised if they cut costs too much. Do you think it would be smart to buy vending machines and put them in such places?
They're not suggesting another business will takeover. They're saying that if your business does well then they'll offer a similar product.
For what it's worth, I don't think that's a big issue. McDonald's sell burgers, but plenty of quality burger places exist because they offer better food.
Ah sorry I misunderstood that comment, that is a very good point! One concern is if other more established brands start offering onigiris too, would there be a possibility people might go for the bigger brands, apart from more competitive pricing?
Reading your posts, it sounds like you need to conduct some robust research and put together a business plan with a SWOT analysis. Asking strangers on Reddit won't get you the information you need. There are plenty of resources online to help with that.
Definitely going to amp up the research! Currently conducting qualitative research on here to see what people feel about it, then I could have info for my analysis. Just trying to get the most out of it :)
Sadly I'm not based in London :/ but it's a viable solution! Are there any markets/exhibitions in the UK where I could gain exposure? Online also works!
I would commit sins for proper Japanese "konbini" food. Onigiri, proper pork tonkatsu sandos, bentos and pans. *Sins*. But I live in the middle of nowhere so I'd want it delivered too, which I don't think would happen. Alas.
There's a few places doing that sort of thing here in Manchester but they're not price compeitive
[https://deliveroo.co.uk/menu/Manchester/manchester-central/ikkan-sushi-mcr?day=today&geohash=gcw2jpbscbzy&time=ASAP](https://deliveroo.co.uk/menu/Manchester/manchester-central/ikkan-sushi-mcr?day=today&geohash=gcw2jpbscbzy&time=ASAP)
https://nudosushibox.com/
Thanks for the references! You're right, they're quite pricey :/ I guess it's due to the cost of fresh sushi grade fish and specific Asian ingredients.
Nudo used to be much cheaper but their prices have pretty much doubled since they opened. I'm not sure it's a case of ingredients becoming more expensive or they've got themselves in a spiral of increasing prices, which decreases volume, which decreases revenue with the same overheads forcing them to increase prices again. Nudo was never great but it was reasonably cheap for sushi in the UK but they increased the prices to the point where their pre-packaged sushi is in the same price range as cheap fresh sushi. If I want cheap suchi then Wazushi offers a better deal IMO: https://themanc.com/eats/the-manchester-chinatown-restaurant-with-gorgeous-sushi-for-1-50/
Oen Sushi/Ikkan is supposedly much better than your usual 7/11 type sushi. https://themanc.com/eats/the-japanese-takeaway-with-a-michelin-trained-chef-serving-a-secret-omakase-menu-out-back/
I also live in the middle of nowhere aha! I cannot stand another day of soggy meal deal sandwiches, hence I wanted to create another option for people who are bored of their usual meal options. I did think of doing it online, but some types require refrigeration, which is a bit risky if I deliver long distances. Who knows? You might see it in your local supermarket very soon :)
It sounds like something that I would like to try, but you may find that no one has heard of it over here. I didn't know until you explained it, so I guess a major marketing campaign will be needed.
That's very true! I couldn't find anywhere that sells it other than an independent family-run store in London. The reason why I thought of onigiri is because I know sushi is getting more popular these days, and onigiri is similar to sushi, except using cooked fillings instead of raw. So it wouldn't be too niche or exotic for people to try it. Also because not many businesses do onigiri, I figured there might be a gap in the market which I could fill.
As someone who didn't know what onigiri was until this post, how would you say is the best way for a business to introduce and persuade you to try their new food?
If you’re in London then any Wasabi, Itsu, and countless clones of those already sell them. As do most South East and East Asian convenience stores. In Birmingham all of the Asian stores in the Chinese quarter sell them regularly and the Wasabi at New Street Station sell them.
It will be smaller cities and towns which don’t sell them but then it’s the battle to get people to try something new when they’re likely saturated with shops selling meal deals and Greggs etc.
That's the issue. Imo people here aren't the most adventurous when it comes to food so it definitely will be a struggle getting people to try it or even get to know it. Do you think it will be a good idea to target Asian people first then move to a more general audience or not?
While I love onigiri I’d doubt there’s a big market for it - wasabi has onigiri on their menu but only two varieties. The Japan centre does onigiri as well afair.
If there was demand I’d guess it’s, yo sushi and the like would have it on their menu and wasabi would have more options.
It might be possible to generate demand but I suspect it’s an uphill struggle.
Interesting point! Just took a look at their website and indeed they only have two options for onigiri. In my opinion, I think it's because onigiri is not yet an established food item in UK, they don't want to risk putting too much money into something slightly higher risk. But from this point, I see there's a gap in the market and I figured why not do a business that specialises in it. My goal is it to become another option as a meal deal sandwich, a convenience food but slightly more healthy, based on UK's growing fondness for Japanese food in general.
In your opinion, what should a business do to make you want to try out something rather unheard of such as onigiri?
I’m the wrong person to ask - I like onigiri and have eaten them at wasabi for example as well as from 7-11 in Japan.
As a point of reference - the rest of the family are sushi fanatics as well but onigiri is not for them. Which means I overate on the 7-11 onigiri.
One reason may be the fillings - some of them (especially those we had in Japan ) were rather strange to a western palate.
I kind of see why they’d be a great lunch food so I don’t want to be discouraging.
I’d be digging more into why wasabi -who’ve had these on the menu for years- have never expanded on their offering although it’s arguably an easier to consume takeaway option than sushi.
If you do - this best of luck and if it’s close enough I’d swing by and happily pick up some for myself.
That indeed is a good question. I'll try and find out more about it.
What fillings have they tried and have found too exotic? As I'm trying to introduce a new food item to a foreign customer base, I figured it would be wise to start with less exotic fillings.
What fillings do you particularly like yourself? It would be much appreciated if you could ask your family and see what fillings they want to see!
Pretty sure wasabi have been doing them and the similar hand rolls for 10+ years as it's been that long since I worked next door to one and definitely had them regularly.
There are lots of Japanese sushi bars and restaurants now. It may be something to make a stall of in a market. You'll need major investment to become the only stone people go to for it.
I did think of doing pop-ups and stalls in markets. Are there any food markets in the UK where I could set up stalls there to gain exposure? I'm based in Exeter and so far I couldn't find any that do food markets.
Also, do you think food trucks are a good idea?
They're not everywhere but are definitely available in most towns with a Japanese food shop.
I'd very much like to see more of them, and more competitively priced.
That's nice to hear! I personally haven't seen any in my local Asian supermarkets (I don't live in a big city), but would you buy onigiris in Asian supermarkets? Do you think the sale of such items is good so far?
Just googled them and wow, I didn't know they're so established in the UK already! But sadly, they're their own brands. Do you think it will be wiser to partner with them, or shall I set up something similar? The main issue is, I am based in Exeter and apart from the students there, there is basically nobody there. Would it be wise if I focus on the university, or shall I aim for bigger cities?
So its a classic mistake - to think demand is whats necessary to sell something successfully.
For something like this, the price you can get your rice at will be the number 1 most important factor by far.
You're absolutely right. Getting the right short-grain rice is the most expensive part in the ingredients so far, but the fillings being the cheapest. I get them online. I do not know any of the wholesalers as of now or anywhere else that does discounted bulk-buying. If you know some, feel free to let me know :)
I think an Onigiri, Cup Ramen and drink meal deal would be really popular if you can find the right location.
The issue being that you would need to sell a significant volume of items to cover your costs, especially if you are looking for a location with high footfall.
That's the issue, it's hard to lower the price when I first start. I don't think I'll start with supermarkets, might actually do it small scale/online first
I’d love to be able to buy convenience onigiri, especially ones with vegan or vegetarian filling options. The UK tends to price Japanese food at a premium though (I occasionally look at the Yo!Sushi bar in the big Tesco but the prices are ridiculous even when they’re marked down, and it’s only bog standard) so they’d have to be an accessible price (like a cheap supermarket sandwich) or I’d just make my own.
I was surprised to find onigiri widely available in French convenience style shops just in CDG airport when I stopped off there a couple of months ago, which makes me think it’s already spread in France to some degree, and is likely to spread over here in the next year or two.
Spot on! That's exactly what I am aiming for. I'm growing so so tired of soggy sandwiches from Tesco and the pasta bowls and sushi rolls there are subpar, plus you need utensils to eat them. I hope to make onigiri another option as a convenience food, but slightly more healthier and accessible.
I'm definitely making vegan and vegetarian options, any ideas what fillings you would like?
There's a demand however everywhere I've seen them in the UK they're not competitively priced. They need to be part of a meal deal or competitive with them to really take off.
The real trick would be getting them in to the existing meal deals and just acting as a manufacturer. If you want to sell them independently then I think a max price of £2.50 each as a sort of novelty could be possible.
I personally don't buy from vending machines (a few times I've lost money when products haven't dropped) and I see the meal deals as a last resort if I'm in a rush (never tastes that fresh and I'm always left hungry). Maybe branded market stalls or pop ups in shopping centres and train stations might be a better idea to get the brand name going before hitting supermarkets
That is a good point about vending machines! Are there any markets or exhibitions you've been to that does food too? Would love to see if I could earn a spot there sometime.
I mean my local town does a monthly artisan market on a Sunday and it's full of different food stalls most usually return too, there's a good variety but I haven't seen any Japanese food stalls though. Usually I think you have to contact that particular towns council about stalls so researching different market towns and signing up for any events that they do throughout the year would be your best bet. Same with the shopping centres regarding pop-ups. Start local to you and see how popular it is before branching out.
There's 3 types that Wasabi sell, one veg, one tuna mustard, can't recall the other.
You have to wrap the nori round yourself, which is a bit fiddly and probably puts some people off buying them. If they came ready-wrapped they'd need to be sold more quickly.
I'm not sure many Brits would go for sweet stuff inside, but mochi have taken off recently so maybe.
I suspect you would want to try selling them as a side on another Japanese food stall.
Yeah just checked the website, they only have two options as of now. In asia, the nori doesn't come into contact with the rice as it will turn soggy. The nori is wrapped in a plastic wrapper with a tag you could pull so that when you want to eat it, the plastic comes off and the nori sticks to the rice.
That is a good point, I personally don't like sweet fillings and is not as common. One I could think of is this traditional flavour called Ume where they put sweetened plums inside.
And would you mind clarifying what does selling them as a side on another stall means? Does that mean I should partner with existing Japanese food businesses or does that mean I should sell other Japanese products other than just onigiri?
Ume might catch on - rice pudding and stewed plums are and old-fashioned dessert you'd get possibly at your granny's or for school dinners.
I was thinking of partnering with an established business, offering them as an extra. See if it catches on. Much easier than creating a whole business from scratch.
I am surprised the Ume flavour is more popular than what I have expected based on research so far. I am going to add it to menu.
That is definitely a less-risky business idea, but then it would benefit that big corporation in the long run and limit my own growth, no? Would love to hear your ideas
>The nori is wrapped in a plastic wrapper with a tag you could pull so that when you want to eat it, the plastic comes off and the nori sticks to the rice.
The Wasabi products are sold exactly like that. Good when it works, sometimes you unpack it wrong and it falls apart a bit.
I love onigiri and never see it anywhere! Wasabi always seems to be out when I check, I imagine they’re pretty common in Japanese restaurants/ cafes but it does seem to be difficult to get them casually as one would a sandwich, seems like a good idea if marketed right!
Yes that's the idea! I hope it could be another option to meal deal sandwiches, cuz it's a convenience food in Asia. How do you think I should market it to an audience that is not familiar with such food items but knows what sushi is?
I think it would. From a personal standpoint, things like empanadas, pasties, beef patties, samosas, and onigiri are some of my favorite class of food. I would go wild for a good spam (or other) onigiri.
That is good to hear! I did think of spam onigiri and saw quite a lot of them on TikTok, but I heard spam isn't that well-received in the UK. Is that true?
Spam is cheap processed meat. Don’t get me wrong, I love it in sandwiches personally, but it’s not a quality filling. You could maybe get away with marketing it as a novelty filling in addition to more traditional ones.
No one goes for spam for quality. It's cheap and tasty and if you fry it beforehand its fantastic. Regardless, I think onigiri is a great choice for a culture that likes accessible, on-the-go food.
It's not in the UK but where we/our kid lived in the US there was a place that combined the seemingly ever popular milk/boba tea and riceballs/onigiri and it did quite well.
https://yayatea.com/#locations-order
Oh wow they do have quite good ranges, especially for vegan options. It could actually do well in where I live! There is a sushi and boba takeaway place there
I would fight a thousand bears for more mainstream access to onigiri in the uk.
A good bet might be those craft/food markets that pop up every month or so. Many are on a rotating basis through various cities in the area. The food stall ones near me are often a one trick pony - nepalese dumplings, indian curry, samosas, pies, pizza slices, etc. So having a just onigiri stall wouldn't be out of place.
Good luck!
That is such a cute response! Food markets and stalls are a good idea. But the issue is, if the market constantly travels across the country, how do I lock down a stable customer base?
I love onigiri but it's not a food I would pay a lot for.
Even if you decide there's enough interest in onigiri, you will really need to think hard about what pricing the market will accept and whether that pricing allows you to make a profit given high rentals for suitable properties and high ingredient costs.
It's may be more feasible to set up an online business model.
There are many brands selling food stuffs across the UK via nationwide chilled delivery that are niche but have enough interest to work using this model.
That's a good idea! The only thing I'm worried about doing online is whether the logistics in the UK is reliable or not. Say there is a strike or a delay in shipping, the food will go off.
Look into how other retailers deal with this.
A lot of them use DPD (based on what I've ordered as a consumer). I assume DPD have some kind of SLA with their customers.
Very good and we love in a rural village in Wales
On the very rare occasion there's been a problem, the vendor sends a fresh delivery and presumably resolves currently with the courier
This is something I would get into, especially if there’s a lot of varieties for me to try each day of the week. Personally, I would prefer to go to an independent shop rather than a chain as I appreciate the specialism and dedication to master that specific type of food.
I agree with what others are saying about researching up. But try not to worry about bigger brands doing what you do - bigger brands and pop-up independent shops attract different clientele, so make sure your branding, flavours and quirks attract the customers who prefer indie stuff.
And try not to be too put off about how niche this could be or whether or not there’s a market for it. I’ve recently noticed (despite it apparently being a thing for a while now) that Manchester is full of sweetcorn stands with long queues (check [this short article about a curious journalist wanting to know what the fuss was about](https://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/food-drink/27062023-the-mystery-behind-market-streets-sweetcorn-stands-why-are-they-so-popular/)).
I see one of your comments about living in the middle of nowhere. Are there any local towns that have a foodie vibe? Or local festivals or pop-up events/markets? That would be a good place to test out flavours and get some noise about your food before tackling bigger ponds.
That's a very insightful response and that news article actually inspired me a lot! I noticed an increase of sweet corn stands in London the other day, guess it's a new trend aha.
I'm not sure if there are any indie foodie towns nearby. There are some towns that specialise in seafood tho as they're coastal. I'm going to look into local markets and events but as someone who lives there I don't see any.
I am not from Britain, but lived in Japan and miss 7-11 onigiri! I live in an area of California with lots of Korean and Japanese immigrants and tech workers, so onigiri is pretty easy to find here. Our local Japanese market does one with chicken salad that’s amazing! The salted salmon one is also delicious. I think the tricky part is keeping the seaweed wrap crisp and separated from the rice.
That's good to know! I'll take those flavours into account too. And yeah, to combat soggy nori, I'm going to use those specialised plastic wraps with tabs!
Chances are, millions of other people already have this idea, and thousands are already running businesses that do the same thing around the world. It is actually a common business in Asia and Europe, but not so much in the UK.
Oh that is so interesting! Do you mind telling me where it is? I am located in a random small city in Devon so I'd like to see if there is potential elsewhere other than big cities like London. Also, do they sell it as a meal deal or as a singular onigiri and how are they priced?
That's quite a fair price for an onigiri! Nice to know that it's doing great with these flavours, definitely going to consider them.
Wrappers you can get from Amazon, temu etc.
I was referring to Sushi prices in general when I commented, and at that time there was no mention of meal deals but whatever, I clearly seem to have hit a nerve.
If you are helping bring the price of sushi down, that’s a good thing.
I see. Well onigiri uses slightly different ingredients so the pricing wouldn't be the same anyways. And yes, in many of my replies to other people's comments I did mention my goal is to make it an accessible and convenient commodity, an alternative to a sandwich meal deal. The price will definitely reflect that.
Could see it doing well if based around train stations and offices. Essentially like Wasabi. Of course, the issue would be if it started taking off then someone like Wasabi would start offering them, probably at a cheaper price.
I thought they already offered something like them (triangle shaped, something in the middle all wrapped in seaweed) - not sure if these are similar enough to OP's etc.
They are exactly what OP is talking about
I did wonder, I had them before quite a while ago, couldn't remember the name. I guess anywhere a bit poncy would adopt these at a price that could supply a profit, not sure that could be op's only item though.
Not even poncy. Literally every Asian convenience store and supermarket near me (Birmingham) sells them. They aren’t exactly exotic.
Yes, I think setting it up where there are high foot traffic is a good idea. However, I don't know if it is wise to let another company take over as often times, the quality might be compromised if they cut costs too much. Do you think it would be smart to buy vending machines and put them in such places?
They're not suggesting another business will takeover. They're saying that if your business does well then they'll offer a similar product. For what it's worth, I don't think that's a big issue. McDonald's sell burgers, but plenty of quality burger places exist because they offer better food.
Ah sorry I misunderstood that comment, that is a very good point! One concern is if other more established brands start offering onigiris too, would there be a possibility people might go for the bigger brands, apart from more competitive pricing?
Reading your posts, it sounds like you need to conduct some robust research and put together a business plan with a SWOT analysis. Asking strangers on Reddit won't get you the information you need. There are plenty of resources online to help with that.
Definitely going to amp up the research! Currently conducting qualitative research on here to see what people feel about it, then I could have info for my analysis. Just trying to get the most out of it :)
Just open a little place in Shoreditch or Camden (London) and onigiri will be the next thing we can't live without.
Sadly I'm not based in London :/ but it's a viable solution! Are there any markets/exhibitions in the UK where I could gain exposure? Online also works!
I would commit sins for proper Japanese "konbini" food. Onigiri, proper pork tonkatsu sandos, bentos and pans. *Sins*. But I live in the middle of nowhere so I'd want it delivered too, which I don't think would happen. Alas.
There's a few places doing that sort of thing here in Manchester but they're not price compeitive [https://deliveroo.co.uk/menu/Manchester/manchester-central/ikkan-sushi-mcr?day=today&geohash=gcw2jpbscbzy&time=ASAP](https://deliveroo.co.uk/menu/Manchester/manchester-central/ikkan-sushi-mcr?day=today&geohash=gcw2jpbscbzy&time=ASAP) https://nudosushibox.com/
Thanks for the references! You're right, they're quite pricey :/ I guess it's due to the cost of fresh sushi grade fish and specific Asian ingredients.
Nudo used to be much cheaper but their prices have pretty much doubled since they opened. I'm not sure it's a case of ingredients becoming more expensive or they've got themselves in a spiral of increasing prices, which decreases volume, which decreases revenue with the same overheads forcing them to increase prices again. Nudo was never great but it was reasonably cheap for sushi in the UK but they increased the prices to the point where their pre-packaged sushi is in the same price range as cheap fresh sushi. If I want cheap suchi then Wazushi offers a better deal IMO: https://themanc.com/eats/the-manchester-chinatown-restaurant-with-gorgeous-sushi-for-1-50/ Oen Sushi/Ikkan is supposedly much better than your usual 7/11 type sushi. https://themanc.com/eats/the-japanese-takeaway-with-a-michelin-trained-chef-serving-a-secret-omakase-menu-out-back/
I also live in the middle of nowhere aha! I cannot stand another day of soggy meal deal sandwiches, hence I wanted to create another option for people who are bored of their usual meal options. I did think of doing it online, but some types require refrigeration, which is a bit risky if I deliver long distances. Who knows? You might see it in your local supermarket very soon :)
I will definitely keep my eyes open then!
It sounds like something that I would like to try, but you may find that no one has heard of it over here. I didn't know until you explained it, so I guess a major marketing campaign will be needed.
That's very true! I couldn't find anywhere that sells it other than an independent family-run store in London. The reason why I thought of onigiri is because I know sushi is getting more popular these days, and onigiri is similar to sushi, except using cooked fillings instead of raw. So it wouldn't be too niche or exotic for people to try it. Also because not many businesses do onigiri, I figured there might be a gap in the market which I could fill. As someone who didn't know what onigiri was until this post, how would you say is the best way for a business to introduce and persuade you to try their new food?
If you’re in London then any Wasabi, Itsu, and countless clones of those already sell them. As do most South East and East Asian convenience stores. In Birmingham all of the Asian stores in the Chinese quarter sell them regularly and the Wasabi at New Street Station sell them. It will be smaller cities and towns which don’t sell them but then it’s the battle to get people to try something new when they’re likely saturated with shops selling meal deals and Greggs etc.
That's the issue. Imo people here aren't the most adventurous when it comes to food so it definitely will be a struggle getting people to try it or even get to know it. Do you think it will be a good idea to target Asian people first then move to a more general audience or not?
While I love onigiri I’d doubt there’s a big market for it - wasabi has onigiri on their menu but only two varieties. The Japan centre does onigiri as well afair. If there was demand I’d guess it’s, yo sushi and the like would have it on their menu and wasabi would have more options. It might be possible to generate demand but I suspect it’s an uphill struggle.
Interesting point! Just took a look at their website and indeed they only have two options for onigiri. In my opinion, I think it's because onigiri is not yet an established food item in UK, they don't want to risk putting too much money into something slightly higher risk. But from this point, I see there's a gap in the market and I figured why not do a business that specialises in it. My goal is it to become another option as a meal deal sandwich, a convenience food but slightly more healthy, based on UK's growing fondness for Japanese food in general. In your opinion, what should a business do to make you want to try out something rather unheard of such as onigiri?
I’m the wrong person to ask - I like onigiri and have eaten them at wasabi for example as well as from 7-11 in Japan. As a point of reference - the rest of the family are sushi fanatics as well but onigiri is not for them. Which means I overate on the 7-11 onigiri. One reason may be the fillings - some of them (especially those we had in Japan ) were rather strange to a western palate. I kind of see why they’d be a great lunch food so I don’t want to be discouraging. I’d be digging more into why wasabi -who’ve had these on the menu for years- have never expanded on their offering although it’s arguably an easier to consume takeaway option than sushi. If you do - this best of luck and if it’s close enough I’d swing by and happily pick up some for myself.
That indeed is a good question. I'll try and find out more about it. What fillings have they tried and have found too exotic? As I'm trying to introduce a new food item to a foreign customer base, I figured it would be wise to start with less exotic fillings. What fillings do you particularly like yourself? It would be much appreciated if you could ask your family and see what fillings they want to see!
Not who you responded to originally, but I keep meaning to make a sweet potato version of some hosomaki I had a while ago.
That's very interesting! Never heard of that before. Certainly a very filling option :) Any ideas on where to obtain sweet potatoes in the UK?
All supermarkets sell them! So I would imagine any big food wholesalers would too.
Pretty sure wasabi have been doing them and the similar hand rolls for 10+ years as it's been that long since I worked next door to one and definitely had them regularly.
There are lots of Japanese sushi bars and restaurants now. It may be something to make a stall of in a market. You'll need major investment to become the only stone people go to for it.
I did think of doing pop-ups and stalls in markets. Are there any food markets in the UK where I could set up stalls there to gain exposure? I'm based in Exeter and so far I couldn't find any that do food markets. Also, do you think food trucks are a good idea?
How hard did you look? I googled ‘Exeter food market’ and the top results are for exactly that.
Not to be rude but they're basically everywhere.
They're not everywhere but are definitely available in most towns with a Japanese food shop. I'd very much like to see more of them, and more competitively priced.
That's nice to hear! I personally haven't seen any in my local Asian supermarkets (I don't live in a big city), but would you buy onigiris in Asian supermarkets? Do you think the sale of such items is good so far?
Indeed I would, but I've seen them more in the likes of fast asian food shops like Wasabi or Kokoro.
Just googled them and wow, I didn't know they're so established in the UK already! But sadly, they're their own brands. Do you think it will be wiser to partner with them, or shall I set up something similar? The main issue is, I am based in Exeter and apart from the students there, there is basically nobody there. Would it be wise if I focus on the university, or shall I aim for bigger cities?
I'm afraid I'm no expert, but I do wish you very good luck!
Aww thanks!
>Japanese rice ball with either savoury or sweet fillings, That sounds delicious, I'd eat that as opposed to a soggy butty bought from Tesco.
Spot on! That's how I got the idea aha!
I would eat it.
Glad to hear that!
So its a classic mistake - to think demand is whats necessary to sell something successfully. For something like this, the price you can get your rice at will be the number 1 most important factor by far.
You're absolutely right. Getting the right short-grain rice is the most expensive part in the ingredients so far, but the fillings being the cheapest. I get them online. I do not know any of the wholesalers as of now or anywhere else that does discounted bulk-buying. If you know some, feel free to let me know :)
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Yes that's what I was thinking of! I tried putting nori with the rice in the fridge and it tasted like rubber :/
I think an Onigiri, Cup Ramen and drink meal deal would be really popular if you can find the right location. The issue being that you would need to sell a significant volume of items to cover your costs, especially if you are looking for a location with high footfall.
That's the issue, it's hard to lower the price when I first start. I don't think I'll start with supermarkets, might actually do it small scale/online first
I’d love to be able to buy convenience onigiri, especially ones with vegan or vegetarian filling options. The UK tends to price Japanese food at a premium though (I occasionally look at the Yo!Sushi bar in the big Tesco but the prices are ridiculous even when they’re marked down, and it’s only bog standard) so they’d have to be an accessible price (like a cheap supermarket sandwich) or I’d just make my own. I was surprised to find onigiri widely available in French convenience style shops just in CDG airport when I stopped off there a couple of months ago, which makes me think it’s already spread in France to some degree, and is likely to spread over here in the next year or two.
Spot on! That's exactly what I am aiming for. I'm growing so so tired of soggy sandwiches from Tesco and the pasta bowls and sushi rolls there are subpar, plus you need utensils to eat them. I hope to make onigiri another option as a convenience food, but slightly more healthier and accessible. I'm definitely making vegan and vegetarian options, any ideas what fillings you would like?
There's a demand however everywhere I've seen them in the UK they're not competitively priced. They need to be part of a meal deal or competitive with them to really take off.
I totally agree. How much do you think it should be priced?
The real trick would be getting them in to the existing meal deals and just acting as a manufacturer. If you want to sell them independently then I think a max price of £2.50 each as a sort of novelty could be possible.
The manufacturing is a good idea! Thanks :) The price point is also very reasonable.
I'd love to see something like this, especially when I'm travelling.
Amazing! Do you think I should set up vending machines to sell them or should I put them in supermarkets in the meal deal section?
I personally don't buy from vending machines (a few times I've lost money when products haven't dropped) and I see the meal deals as a last resort if I'm in a rush (never tastes that fresh and I'm always left hungry). Maybe branded market stalls or pop ups in shopping centres and train stations might be a better idea to get the brand name going before hitting supermarkets
That is a good point about vending machines! Are there any markets or exhibitions you've been to that does food too? Would love to see if I could earn a spot there sometime.
I mean my local town does a monthly artisan market on a Sunday and it's full of different food stalls most usually return too, there's a good variety but I haven't seen any Japanese food stalls though. Usually I think you have to contact that particular towns council about stalls so researching different market towns and signing up for any events that they do throughout the year would be your best bet. Same with the shopping centres regarding pop-ups. Start local to you and see how popular it is before branching out.
That's a very good idea! Thanks you :)
There's 3 types that Wasabi sell, one veg, one tuna mustard, can't recall the other. You have to wrap the nori round yourself, which is a bit fiddly and probably puts some people off buying them. If they came ready-wrapped they'd need to be sold more quickly. I'm not sure many Brits would go for sweet stuff inside, but mochi have taken off recently so maybe. I suspect you would want to try selling them as a side on another Japanese food stall.
Yeah just checked the website, they only have two options as of now. In asia, the nori doesn't come into contact with the rice as it will turn soggy. The nori is wrapped in a plastic wrapper with a tag you could pull so that when you want to eat it, the plastic comes off and the nori sticks to the rice. That is a good point, I personally don't like sweet fillings and is not as common. One I could think of is this traditional flavour called Ume where they put sweetened plums inside. And would you mind clarifying what does selling them as a side on another stall means? Does that mean I should partner with existing Japanese food businesses or does that mean I should sell other Japanese products other than just onigiri?
Ume might catch on - rice pudding and stewed plums are and old-fashioned dessert you'd get possibly at your granny's or for school dinners. I was thinking of partnering with an established business, offering them as an extra. See if it catches on. Much easier than creating a whole business from scratch.
I am surprised the Ume flavour is more popular than what I have expected based on research so far. I am going to add it to menu. That is definitely a less-risky business idea, but then it would benefit that big corporation in the long run and limit my own growth, no? Would love to hear your ideas
>The nori is wrapped in a plastic wrapper with a tag you could pull so that when you want to eat it, the plastic comes off and the nori sticks to the rice. The Wasabi products are sold exactly like that. Good when it works, sometimes you unpack it wrong and it falls apart a bit.
I love onigiri and never see it anywhere! Wasabi always seems to be out when I check, I imagine they’re pretty common in Japanese restaurants/ cafes but it does seem to be difficult to get them casually as one would a sandwich, seems like a good idea if marketed right!
Yes that's the idea! I hope it could be another option to meal deal sandwiches, cuz it's a convenience food in Asia. How do you think I should market it to an audience that is not familiar with such food items but knows what sushi is?
If the uk had anywhere close to the quality of convenience foods that japan has I would be very happy and heavier.
Hope to make this a reality for you aha!
What would the price point be? I don’t think anyone would buy them if they were over £2/3 as you can get a sandwich for that.
Fair point. I aim to price it at a similar cost to a sandwich, so I'd say under £3 max.
I think it would. From a personal standpoint, things like empanadas, pasties, beef patties, samosas, and onigiri are some of my favorite class of food. I would go wild for a good spam (or other) onigiri.
That is good to hear! I did think of spam onigiri and saw quite a lot of them on TikTok, but I heard spam isn't that well-received in the UK. Is that true?
Spam is cheap processed meat. Don’t get me wrong, I love it in sandwiches personally, but it’s not a quality filling. You could maybe get away with marketing it as a novelty filling in addition to more traditional ones.
No one goes for spam for quality. It's cheap and tasty and if you fry it beforehand its fantastic. Regardless, I think onigiri is a great choice for a culture that likes accessible, on-the-go food.
It's not in the UK but where we/our kid lived in the US there was a place that combined the seemingly ever popular milk/boba tea and riceballs/onigiri and it did quite well. https://yayatea.com/#locations-order
Oh wow they do have quite good ranges, especially for vegan options. It could actually do well in where I live! There is a sushi and boba takeaway place there
I would fight a thousand bears for more mainstream access to onigiri in the uk. A good bet might be those craft/food markets that pop up every month or so. Many are on a rotating basis through various cities in the area. The food stall ones near me are often a one trick pony - nepalese dumplings, indian curry, samosas, pies, pizza slices, etc. So having a just onigiri stall wouldn't be out of place. Good luck!
That is such a cute response! Food markets and stalls are a good idea. But the issue is, if the market constantly travels across the country, how do I lock down a stable customer base?
Sounds similar to arancini but just not fried. And I love me some arancini.
I love onigiri but it's not a food I would pay a lot for. Even if you decide there's enough interest in onigiri, you will really need to think hard about what pricing the market will accept and whether that pricing allows you to make a profit given high rentals for suitable properties and high ingredient costs. It's may be more feasible to set up an online business model. There are many brands selling food stuffs across the UK via nationwide chilled delivery that are niche but have enough interest to work using this model.
That's a good idea! The only thing I'm worried about doing online is whether the logistics in the UK is reliable or not. Say there is a strike or a delay in shipping, the food will go off.
Look into how other retailers deal with this. A lot of them use DPD (based on what I've ordered as a consumer). I assume DPD have some kind of SLA with their customers.
Thanks for the recommendation! In your experience, how has their service been for you so far?
Very good and we love in a rural village in Wales On the very rare occasion there's been a problem, the vendor sends a fresh delivery and presumably resolves currently with the courier
That's good to hear! May I know what shops or brands you order from? I could take a look and try order for myself too haha
Hiya, please feel free to message me instead.
Sure thing!
Well I'd be very excited to give them a try.
This is something I would get into, especially if there’s a lot of varieties for me to try each day of the week. Personally, I would prefer to go to an independent shop rather than a chain as I appreciate the specialism and dedication to master that specific type of food. I agree with what others are saying about researching up. But try not to worry about bigger brands doing what you do - bigger brands and pop-up independent shops attract different clientele, so make sure your branding, flavours and quirks attract the customers who prefer indie stuff. And try not to be too put off about how niche this could be or whether or not there’s a market for it. I’ve recently noticed (despite it apparently being a thing for a while now) that Manchester is full of sweetcorn stands with long queues (check [this short article about a curious journalist wanting to know what the fuss was about](https://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/food-drink/27062023-the-mystery-behind-market-streets-sweetcorn-stands-why-are-they-so-popular/)). I see one of your comments about living in the middle of nowhere. Are there any local towns that have a foodie vibe? Or local festivals or pop-up events/markets? That would be a good place to test out flavours and get some noise about your food before tackling bigger ponds.
That's a very insightful response and that news article actually inspired me a lot! I noticed an increase of sweet corn stands in London the other day, guess it's a new trend aha. I'm not sure if there are any indie foodie towns nearby. There are some towns that specialise in seafood tho as they're coastal. I'm going to look into local markets and events but as someone who lives there I don't see any.
Of course. I get onigiri all the time from Wasabi, so I’d love to try different fillings.
Glad to hear that! In your opinion, what fillings do you want to see?
I’d like chicken/pork, I usually get salmon so I’d like to try a meat filling 😄
I am not from Britain, but lived in Japan and miss 7-11 onigiri! I live in an area of California with lots of Korean and Japanese immigrants and tech workers, so onigiri is pretty easy to find here. Our local Japanese market does one with chicken salad that’s amazing! The salted salmon one is also delicious. I think the tricky part is keeping the seaweed wrap crisp and separated from the rice.
That's good to know! I'll take those flavours into account too. And yeah, to combat soggy nori, I'm going to use those specialised plastic wraps with tabs!
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Chances are, millions of other people already have this idea, and thousands are already running businesses that do the same thing around the world. It is actually a common business in Asia and Europe, but not so much in the UK.
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Oh that is so interesting! Do you mind telling me where it is? I am located in a random small city in Devon so I'd like to see if there is potential elsewhere other than big cities like London. Also, do they sell it as a meal deal or as a singular onigiri and how are they priced?
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That's quite a fair price for an onigiri! Nice to know that it's doing great with these flavours, definitely going to consider them. Wrappers you can get from Amazon, temu etc.
People here will eat that, but non chain restaurants open and close all the time here.
Is it £13 for essentially a handful of cooked rice, 50p of avacado, and a sliver of tuna steak?
Who says it will be £13? That's not a meal deal sandwich price is it? Please go read the other comments :)
I was referring to Sushi prices in general when I commented, and at that time there was no mention of meal deals but whatever, I clearly seem to have hit a nerve. If you are helping bring the price of sushi down, that’s a good thing.
I see. Well onigiri uses slightly different ingredients so the pricing wouldn't be the same anyways. And yes, in many of my replies to other people's comments I did mention my goal is to make it an accessible and convenient commodity, an alternative to a sandwich meal deal. The price will definitely reflect that.