DOJIMA SAKE BREWERY UK & CO.

What DOJIMA SAKE BREWERY UK & CO. does

Dojima Sake Brewery UK & Co. is a privately held, family-owned sake producer operating from Fordham Abbey in Cambridgeshire, England. Established in September 2018 as the UK arm of the Japanese-founded Dojima Bakushu Jozosho Ltd (Osaka, 1996), the company produces premium Japanese-style sake using traditional brewing techniques, Yamada Nishiki rice imported from Japan's Hyogo prefecture, and water from the Fordham Abbey estate purified by underlying Ice Age strata. The brewery is led by founder and CEO Yoshihide Hashimoto, a second-generation brewer with over 40 years of experience at Kotobuki Shuzo Brewery, and the UK entity is registered in England and Wales as a private company with no external investors, funding rounds, or public revenue disclosure.

The company operates three revenue streams: direct-to-consumer sales of two flagship sake products (Junmai Sake Dojima, a limited-edition handcrafted junmai polished to 70%, and Vintage Sake Cambridge, a kijoshu-style aged sake stored 3-5 years in Fordham Abbey cellars); on-site brewery tours and tasting experiences priced at £30 per person or £60 per person with Japanese lunch; and the Dojima Sake Academy, offering educational short and residential courses on sake brewing and culture. Distribution is primarily direct through a WooCommerce e-commerce site with WorldPay payment processing, on-site retail at Fordham Abbey, and tour bookings — no third-party distributors are identified, and bottle pricing is not publicly disclosed. Production of the flagship Junmai is deliberately capped at 1,000 hand-numbered bottles.

The company targets three customer segments: UK premium sake consumers (primary), the hospitality sector (restaurants, hotels, sommeliers, chefs) for on-trade distribution, and experiential tourists visiting the Cambridgeshire area. The September 2018 opening ceremony attracted over 250 guests including the Japanese Ambassador and UK officials, signaling B2B relationship-building intent. Marketing is concentrated on Facebook and Instagram organic social plus the company website, with no paid digital marketing or AI-driven optimization identified. The company is part of a broader Hashimoto family group with related brewing operations in Japan, Korea (since 1998), and Myanmar (since 2002), though the UK entity itself is a standalone family business.

Name

DOJIMA SAKE BREWERY UK & CO.

Legal name

Dojima Sake Brewery UK & Co.

Website

https://dojimabrewery.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dojima Sake Brewery UK & Co. is a family-owned sake brewery at Fordham Abbey, Cambridgeshire that produces premium Japanese-style sake using traditional techniques, Ice Age-filtered English water, and Japanese Yamada Nishiki rice, serving UK consumers and hospitality venues through e-commerce, tours, and the Dojima Sake Academy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Sake Brewing and Production

NAICS

Distilleries (312140), Distilleries (31214)

akta.pro primary industry

Sake, Soju & Other Asian Alcoholic Beverages Producers & Brands (CRADAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Craft Distilleries & Microdistilleries (THAFALAH), Distilleries (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAG)

Keywords

• Premium sake brewing
• Japanese-style sake
• Junmai sake production
• Brewery tours tastings
• Aged kijoshu sake

Headquarters

HQ city

Fordham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Sake Product Sales: Direct sales of Junmai Sake Dojima and Vintage Sake Cambridge through e-commerce website. Customers purchase directly online with delivery within UK. One-time purchase model for individual bottles.
2. Brewery Tours & Tastings: Physical experience at Fordham Abbey brewery. Tour priced at £30 per person for 80 minutes including tasting of 3 premium sake varieties. Optional lunch at £60 per person.
3. Dojima Sake Academy: Educational courses on sake brewing and culture. Short and residential courses covering brewing process and sake culture aspects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Dojima Sake Brewery UK & Co. handcrafts premium Japanese-style sake at Fordham Abbey in Cambridgeshire, England, using traditional Settsu Tonda brewing techniques with Yamada Nishiki rice from Hyogo, Japan, and pure English water filtered by Ice Age strata. Its flagship products are Junmai Sake Dojima and Vintage Sake Cambridge (a kijoshu-style aged sake), sold directly to consumers via e-commerce and at the brewery, complemented by guided brewery tours and the Dojima Sake Academy.

Product overview

Dojima Sake Brewery produces premium Japanese-style sake at Fordham Abbey in Cambridgeshire, England. Their product portfolio centers on two core sake offerings: Junmai Sake Dojima (their flagship handcrafted junmai sake made with Yamada Nishiki rice from Hyogo, Japan, polished to 70%, and pure English water from Ice Age strata) and Cambridge Vintage Sake (a premium aged kijoshu-style sake stored 3-5 years in Fordham Abbey cellars). These are complemented by experiential offerings including brewery tours and tasting experiences, as well as sake brewing education through the Dojima Sake Academy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Junmai Sake Dojima Flagship handcrafted junmai sake made with Yamada Nishiki rice from Hyogo, Japan, polished to 70%, combined with pure English water from Fordham Abbey estate purified by Ice Age strata. Fermented slowly with temperature control and offered as a limited-edition hand-numbered bottle (1 to 1,000). Aimed at discerning consumers seeking authentic, premium-quality sake for special occasions, gifting, and celebrations.
• Vintage Sake Cambridge Premium aged kijoshu-style sake brewed in 2018 and stored 3-5 years in Fordham Abbey cellars. Produced using Dojima Sake Junmai in place of water in the final brewing stages, a method dating to Heian era manuscripts of 905, yielding a deep, rich flavor with golden amber hue. Positioned as a fine-wine-style sake ideal for laying down and suitable for special occasions.
• Brewery Tour & Tasting Guided 80-minute tours of the Fordham Abbey brewery production areas followed by tasting sessions in the tasting room overlooking the fermentation room and English countryside. Includes sampling of 3 different premium sake varieties, priced at £30 per person, with an optional Japanese lunch add-on at £60 per person. Maximum 10 people per session.
• Dojima Sake Academy Educational program offering short and residential courses covering sake brewing processes and sake culture. Designed for home brewers, beer brewers, and anyone curious about sake, ranging from brewing fundamentals to advanced sake appreciation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dojima Junmai Sake takes 5 years from conception to birth
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Kentaro AoyagiminorOthers · 14 September 2018Provided miniature tatami mats for the opening ceremony, contributing to the authentic Japanese cultural experience.
• TotominorOthers · 14 September 2018Japanese toilet manufacturer that supplied high-tech toilets for the brewery facilities at the opening ceremony.
• Zen-nohminorOthers · 14 September 2018Japanese agricultural cooperative that provided Wagyu beef for the opening ceremony buffet.
• TakomasaminorOthers · 14 September 2018Food vendor that provided Takoyaki (Japanese octopus balls) at the opening ceremony.
• TakaraminorOthers · 14 September 2018Food vendor that provided ramen noodles at the opening ceremony.
• Yoshio KodaminorOthers · 14 September 2018Living National Treasure who made traditional hakama garments from Sendaihira for the Hashimoto family at the opening ceremony.
• Michiko KoshinominorOthers · 14 September 2018World-famous fashion designer who designed and made special uniforms for the Dojima brewers.
• Fordham AbbeycoreOthers · 14 September 2018Historic estate providing the physical location for Dojima Sake Brewery. Estate features 13th century priory heritage, Georgian manor house, rolling meadows, walled gardens, and water source purified by Ice Age strata. The venue is central to the brewery's operations and tours.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hakutsuru Sake Brewery: One of Japan's largest sake producers, exporting widely to the UK and global markets. Comparable as the dominant incumbent Japanese sake brand competing for the same UK on-trade and retail premium slots Dojima targets.
• Gekkeikan Sake: Historic Japanese sake brewery and major global exporter with established UK and European distribution. Comparable as the mass-market incumbent whose presence defines the imported sake baseline Dojima competes against.

Regional players

• Hepple Spirits: UK craft gin distillery with estate-based production and on-site tasting experiences. Comparable as a UK craft spirits producer using a heritage estate location to combine premium product with destination tourism.
• Cotswold Distillery: UK craft distillery with on-site tours, tastings, and a hospitality-led DTC model at a countryside estate. Comparable as a UK craft beverage producer combining production with destination tourism and educational experiences targeting premium UK consumers.

Emerging players

• Sequoia Sake: US-based craft sake producer focused on small-batch, premium junmai sake with an emphasis on sake education and tasting experiences. Comparable emerging craft sake concept with educational/experiential components.
• Tsuki no Katsura Sake Brewery: Historic Kyoto sake brewery specializing in premium and aged sake including kijoshu. Comparable on kijoshu production expertise, traditional brewing heritage, and premium product positioning.

Direct peers

• Den Sake: California craft sake brewery producing junmai and nama sake for the US premium on-trade market. Comparable as a Western craft sake producer targeting restaurants and specialty retail with authentic Japanese brewing heritage.
• Brooklyn Kura: New York's first craft sake brewery, founded by a Japanese-trained toji, brewing authentic junmai and ginjo sake outside Japan. Highly comparable model: small-batch craft sake production outside Japan using traditional methods, with DTC and on-premise channels.
• Kanpai Sake Brewery: London-based craft sake brewery producing junmai and nigori sake for the UK market using traditional Japanese methods. Most direct competitor in the UK craft sake category, comparable on product type, target consumer, and craft/quality positioning.
• Toji Sake Brewery (UK): UK-based sake brewery producing authentic Japanese-style sake from a single British site. Directly comparable as a small-batch UK sake producer using imported Japanese rice and traditional brewing techniques targeting premium UK consumers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DojimaSake
• Instagraminstagram.com/dojimasake
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dojima-sake-brewery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 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 DOJIMA SAKE BREWERY UK & CO.