What Clearspring does

Clearspring is a UK-based, family-run specialty food company founded in 1993 that specialises in organic Japanese, macrobiotic, and fine foods. Its product portfolio spans Organic Silken Tofu, a wide range of miso pastes (white, brown rice, barley, hatcho, chickpea, reduced salt), Japanese teas (matcha, sencha, hojicha, genmaicha), udon, soba, somen and ramen noodles, tamari and shoyu soya sauces, sea vegetables (wakame, nori, kombu, dulse), rice crackers, amazake, plus adjacent ranges in organic oils and vinegars, Italian gluten-free pulse pastas, and the Bio Kitchen sub-brand of Demeter-certified pantry staples. The company holds third-party certifications from the Soil Association, the Vegan Society, Demeter, and CarbonTag, and has collected multiple Great Taste Awards across SKUs.

The business operates a hybrid go-to-market: direct-to-consumer e-commerce through clearspring.co.uk (with Subscribe & Save recurring orders at a 5% discount, free UK mainland delivery over £55, and case/bulk volume pricing) and wholesale distribution across nearly every major UK grocery banner, including Waitrose, Ocado, Whole Foods Market, Sainsbury's, ASDA, Marks & Spencer, Co-op, plus specialist and online channels such as Abel & Cole, Amazon Fresh, and Planet Organic. Pricing ranges from approximately £1.29 (Seaveg Crispies) to £193 (1kg premium matcha), with case discounts of 5% on 12-packs.

Underlying technology is minimal: a Shopify-based storefront integrated with Shopify Payments, Seal Subscriptions, and Judge.me reviews. Clearspring's competitive position rests on 30+ years of brand heritage, long-dated Japanese supplier relationships (notably a 1973 tofu production partnership), multiple certifications, and shelf presence across the UK grocery landscape rather than proprietary technology or platform assets. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, no funding rounds, and headcount in the 11-50 range.

Name

Clearspring

Legal name

Clearspring

Website

https://clearspring.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Clearspring is a UK family-run specialty food company, founded in 1993, that sells organic Japanese, macrobiotic, and fine foods directly to consumers online and through major UK supermarkets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Japanese & Macrobiotic Foods

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311), Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (3114)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Organic Packaged Foods Manufacturing (Certified Organic, Clean-Label) (AFAKAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Natural, Organic & Health Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAK), Organic & Natural Packaged Grocery Wholesale (AFAIAJAB), Organic Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Wholesale (AFAIAJAF)

Keywords

• Organic japanese foods
• Macrobiotic food products
• Traditional miso paste
• Japanese green tea
• Organic pantry staples

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales through own e-commerce website. Customers purchase products individually or through Subscribe & Save subscription model for recurring deliveries with 5% discount.
2. Wholesale to Retailers: Wholesale distribution to major UK supermarket chains and independent health food stores. Products stocked by Waitrose, Ocado, Whole Foods Market, Sainsbury's, ASDA, M&S, Co-op, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Clearspring manufactures, brands, and distributes a portfolio of over 200 certified organic Japanese, macrobiotic, and plant-based food products — including silken tofu, traditional miso pastes, matcha and Japanese green teas, noodles, sea vegetables, oils, vinegars, rice crackers, and pantry staples — sold directly to UK consumers via its own e-commerce site and wholesale to major UK supermarket chains, online grocers, and independent health food stores.

Product overview

Clearspring is a family-run UK organic food company specializing in authentic Japanese cuisine and macrobiotic foods, founded in 1993. The product portfolio centers on a comprehensive Japanese Range including Organic Silken Tofu, Traditional Miso pastes (White, Brown Rice, Barley, Hatcho varieties), Japanese Matcha and tea varieties (Sencha, Hojicha, Genmaicha, Kukicha, Gyokuro), Udon/Soba/Ramen noodles, Tamari/Shoyu soya sauces, Umami pastes, Sea Vegetables (Wakame, Nori, Kombu, Dulse), Rice Crackers, and Amazake desserts. Supporting ranges include Organic Oils & Vinegars (Italian olive oils, sesame oils, apple cider vinegars), the Bio Kitchen sub-brand of Demeter-certified pantry staples (beans, lentils, vegetables in glass jars), Gluten-Free Italian pastas, and Traditional Japanese kitchen accessories. Clearspring emphasises organic, plant-based, and traditionally-produced foods with certifications including Soil Association Organic, Vegan Society, and Demeter (biodynamic) standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bio Kitchen: Premium range of organic and Demeter standard staple foods in glass jars, including gherkins, chickpeas, lentils, sauerkraut and baked beans.

Products and services

• Organic Japanese Silken Tofu Award-winning organic silken tofu made in Japan using whole soya beans and water from the Shikoku mountains. Velvety smooth texture, suitable for sweet and savoury dishes. Available in 200g and 300g sizes. Carries Soil Association Organic and Vegan Society certifications and a CarbonTag-verified 69% lower carbon footprint than average UK supermarket chicken per kg.
• Organic Japanese Matcha Green Tea Powder

Quantifiable outcome

• 69% lower carbon footprint than average UK supermarket chicken per kg (independently calculated by CarbonTag for silken tofu)

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Japanese Tofu Producer (Shikoku Mountains)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1973Long-term partnership since 1973 with a Japanese tofu producer using water from Shikoku mountains. This partnership resulted in Clearspring's unique ambient silken organic tofu recipe that tastes like fresh tofu sold on Japanese streets.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Yutaka: UK-based Japanese food brand offering miso, tofu, noodles, sushi rice, and sauces. Directly comparable as an established Japanese pantry brand sold through UK grocers.
• Biona Organic: UK organic food brand offering organic pantry staples, condiments, oils, and Asian-inspired products. Directly comparable as a multi-category organic brand sold through UK health food and grocery channels.
• Blue Dragon: UK Asian food brand with a broad range of Japanese and pan-Asian sauces, noodles, and pantry items. Comparable as a UK grocery-shelf Asian food brand.
• Meridian Foods: UK organic brand specializing in nut butters, tahini, syrups, and spreads. Comparable as a UK-based organic packaged food brand with similar retail distribution and certifications.
• Tofoo: UK specialist tofu brand. Closely comparable as a tofu-led UK plant-based brand sold through major supermarkets and health stores.
• Infinity Foods: UK organic and natural foods wholesaler and brand with extensive distribution to independent health stores and supermarkets. Comparable as a UK organic wholesaler/brand with similar category breadth.
• Suma: UK worker-owned organic wholefoods cooperative distributing its own and partner organic brands to retailers and food service. Comparable as a UK organic wholesaler with own-brand range and similar channels.
• Essential Trading: UK organic and wholefoods cooperative producing and distributing organic grocery, oils, condiments, and Asian-inspired products. Comparable as a UK organic cooperative with overlapping product categories and distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Amy's Kitchen: International organic and plant-based prepared food brand with broad UK grocery distribution. Comparable as a certified-organic CPG brand in UK retail but operating at much larger scale and across broader categories.
• Itsu: Major UK Japanese food brand and restaurant chain with a broad grocery product range. Comparable as a UK Japanese food brand but operating at much larger scale and via a multi-channel retail/restaurant model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ClearspringUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clearspring

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clearspring