Taiko Foods

What Taiko Foods does

Taiko Foods is a UK-based food manufacturer established in 1997 that produces pre-pack sushi, salads, bowls, and Asian-inspired prepared food-to-go products. It is the UK market leader in pre-pack sushi, with over 1 million packs produced weekly and daily delivery to more than 7,500 retail and foodservice locations. The company operates a multi-brand portfolio that segments the market by price point and occasion: GLO (premium salads), Raku (affordable Japanese food-to-go in nearly 1,000 Lidl stores), Taiko (premium sushi), and YO! (restaurant-quality products across 65 restaurants globally and 370 in-store Tesco kiosks). Production is anchored at BRCGS AA+ rated manufacturing facilities in London, with sustainability credentials including MSC-certified seafood and Sedex/SMETA ethical trade compliance.

The business model is B2B wholesale food manufacturing. Revenue is generated by selling manufactured products at wholesale prices to major UK supermarket retailers (Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, ASDA, Waitrose, Co-op, Lidl, Costco) and foodservice distributors (including Simply Lunch). Direct-to-consumer revenue is generated through the YO! restaurant estate and in-store kiosks. The company is a subsidiary of Wonderfield Group Limited (formerly Snowfox Group), which was acquired by Japan's Zensho Holdings Ltd in September 2023 for $621 million and rebranded to Wonderfield Group in July 2024. The company is headquartered in London and operates with a team of over 1,000 employees.

Name

Taiko Foods

Legal name

Taiko Foods Ltd

Website

https://taikofoods.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Taiko Foods is the UK market leader in pre-pack sushi and Asian-inspired prepared food-to-go, producing over 1 million packs weekly under the GLO, Raku, Taiko, and YO! brands for major UK supermarkets and foodservice distributors across 7,500+ locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Prepared Asian Food Manufacturing

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311), Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (31171), Other Snack Food Manufacturing (311919)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

In-Store Sushi & Asian Prepared Foods (CRAHAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

International & Ethnic Packaged Foods (CRADAAAG), Frozen prepared meals & entrées manufacturing (AFAKAHAA)

Keywords

• Prepared food manufacturing
• Asian food to go
• Sushi production
• Retail food brands
• Foodservice distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Food Manufacturing & Distribution: Taiko Foods manufactures and distributes sushi, salads, bowls, snacks, and prepared food-to-go products to major UK retailers and foodservice distributors. Products are sold under multiple brands (GLO, Raku, Taiko, YO!) through retail partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Taiko Foods manufactures and distributes authentic Asian-inspired food-to-go products, including sushi, salads, bowls, and snacks, under a portfolio of four brands (GLO, Raku, Taiko, and YO!). The company operates from BRCGS AA+ rated production facilities and supplies major UK retailers and foodservice distributors, delivering over one million packs weekly to more than 7,500 locations across the United Kingdom.

Product overview

Taiko Foods is a UK market-leading food manufacturer offering a multi-brand portfolio of Asian-inspired food to go products. The portfolio includes four distinct brands: GLO (salads), Raku (affordable Japanese food to go), Taiko (premium sushi and Japanese cuisine), and YO! (restaurant-quality products for retail and dining). The company's product categories span salads, sushi, bowls, and snacks, with over 1 million packs produced per week and distribution to over 7,500 locations across the UK including major supermarkets (Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, ASDA, Co-op, Waitrose), Lidl, Costco, and Simply Lunch.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GLO: Nourishing salads with bold flavours. GLO focuses on wellness and mindful eating, using natural ingredients to create globally inspired salads that are nourishing and nutritionally balanced.
• Raku
• YO!
• Taiko

Products and services

• GLO A salad brand under Taiko Foods offering nourishing salads with bold flavours made with natural ingredients, focused on wellness and mindful eating. Sold to major UK retailers and foodservice distributors.
• Raku An affordable Japanese food-to-go brand available in nearly 1,000 Lidl stores across the UK, positioned as the UK's fastest-growing affordable Japanese food-to-go offering.
• Taiko The original premium sushi and Japanese cuisine brand under Taiko Foods, committed to creating authentic foods with care, integrity and minimal waste. Sold through major UK retailers.
• YO! A multi-channel, multi-format Japanese/Asian food brand operating 65 restaurants globally and 370 retail kiosks in Tesco, plus packaged product lines sold through UK retailers for at-home consumption.
• Sushi Manufactured pre-pack sushi range including Chicken Katsu Lovers, Salmon Lovers, Teriyaki Salmon Roll, vegan selections and dragon rolls. Authentic Japanese sushi produced in BRCGS AA+ rated facilities for UK retailers and foodservice customers.
• Salads Nourishing pre-pack salads with bold flavours and natural ingredients, including Bang Bang Chicken Salad, Chicken Shawarma Salad, and Smoky Chicken Salad. Sold primarily under the GLO brand through UK retailers.
• Bowls Asian-inspired bowl range featuring authentic flavours including Beef Ramen, Duck Poke Bowl, Salmon Poke, and rice bowl options. Manufactured pre-pack format for retail and foodservice.
• Snacks Prepared snack range including Chicken Katsu Bites, Salted Edamame, Vegetable Gyoza, Chicken Yakitori, and Onigiri options for on-the-go consumption.

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OLIOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood waste reduction partnership with OLIO, the food waste hero program. Rather than sending overproduced items to waste and landfills, Taiko Foods redistributes and donates food to local communities. Since February 2023, approximately 10,000 meals (4,000 kg of food) have been prevented from going to landfills, preventing an estimated 18 tons of carbon emissions.
• Compassion in World FarmingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTaiko Foods works with Compassion in World Farming, a leading global animal welfare NGO, to improve animal welfare standards in their supply chain, particularly for broiler chickens.
• Sustainable Seafood Coalition (SSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in the Sustainable Seafood Coalition with sourcing decisions guided by their Codes of Conduct and implementation plans, including comprehensive risk assessment processes for sustainable seafood sourcing.
• Plastics Pact (UK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive participation in the UK Plastics Pact initiative, exploring collaborative opportunities with innovative suppliers and industry partners to address packaging demands and reduce overall plastic impact.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bakkavor Group: Bakkavor is a major UK fresh-prepared food manufacturer supplying major supermarkets with salads, sandwiches, sushi, and meals — directly comparable to Taiko's B2B fresh-prepared manufacturing model though with a much broader product portfolio.
• Greencore Group: Greencore is a leading UK convenience food manufacturer producing sandwiches, salads, sushi, and prepared meals for major UK supermarkets — overlapping with Taiko's prepared-food B2B manufacturing and distribution operations.
• Pladis Global: Pladis is a global branded snacks and confectionery group whose B2B manufacturing and multi-brand portfolio strategy parallels Taiko's approach to scaling multiple food brands across major retail channels.
• Premier Foods: Premier Foods is a major UK packaged food manufacturer with branded grocery products sold through the same UK supermarket channels that Taiko serves, though focused on shelf-stable rather than chilled prepared foods.

Direct peers

• Itsu: Itsu is a UK sushi and Asian-inspired food chain that overlaps directly with Taiko's pre-pack sushi and salads offerings in retail, grocery, and restaurant channels, targeting similar health-conscious convenience consumers.
• Sushi Daily: Sushi Daily operates sushi kiosks inside European supermarkets (including UK), competing directly with Taiko's YO! Tesco kiosk and pre-pack sushi distribution model with a similar in-store retail approach.
• Wasabi: Wasabi is a UK-based sushi and Japanese food-to-go chain and manufacturer that competes directly with Taiko's YO! brand in retail kiosks, supermarkets, and standalone restaurants across British high streets and travel hubs.

Emerging players

• Pret a Manger: Pret a Manger is a UK-based food-to-go chain with prepared salads, sandwiches, and bowls sold through both standalone stores and grocery channels, competing for similar health-conscious convenience consumers as Taiko.

Others

• Zensho Holdings: Zensho Holdings is the Japanese food company that acquired Taiko's parent (Snowfox/Wonderfield Group) for $621M in 2023 — a sister/parent company operating comparable Japanese and Asian prepared-food concepts internationally, providing vertical and geographic expansion potential.
• Yo! Sushi (legacy brand): YO! Sushi is now owned and operated by Taiko Foods as one of its four subsidiary brands; the legacy restaurant concept is directly comparable to other UK Japanese casual-dining competitors like Wagamama and Itsu.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TaikoFoods_

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

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 Taiko Foods