The Wasabi Company

What The Wasabi Company does

The Wasabi Company, trading name of The Watercress Company, is a UK-based specialist grower and online retailer of fresh wasabi and Japanese ingredients, headquartered in Owermoigne, Dorchester. Founded in 2010 as a diversification of a watercress farming operation that dates to the 1850s, the company operates farms in Dorset and Hampshire that replicate traditional Japanese stream-like growing conditions using mineral-rich water, making it the UK's first and only commercial wasabi grower; rhizomes take approximately 18 months to reach harvest. The product portfolio spans UK-grown and Shizuoka-sourced fresh wasabi (rhizomes, leaves, stems, flowers), fresh Japanese citrus, live wasabi and citrus plants, an own-brand Wasabi Label range of award-winning condiments and craft spirits, a broad Japanese pantry range (soy sauce, miso, dashi, mirin, seaweed, noodles, sesame, vinegars), and adjacent lifestyle categories including Japanese cookware, tableware, sakeware, Konro grills, Binchotan charcoal, Japanese seeds, and Niwaki garden tools.

The company runs a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront as its primary sales channel, supplemented by a dedicated B2B trade portal for chefs and restaurants and wholesale accounts for retailers stocking its products. Pricing is unit-based across SKUs ranging from approximately £2 to £250, with free UK delivery over £75 and seasonal promotions up to 50% off. Customer segments include Michelin-starred fine-dining restaurants (named customers include Ikoyi, Taku, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, The Fat Duck, The Clove Club, The Hand & Flowers, The Ledbury, Ynyshir and Raby Hunt), home cooks and Japanese food enthusiasts, retailers and wholesalers, and gardeners/plant enthusiasts. The Wasabi Label range has accumulated 28 Gold Stars in the Great Taste Awards across 5 consecutive years, and the business holds Official Japanese Food and Ingredient Supporter certification from Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed and no external funding, acquisitions, or leadership changes are reported. The company is privately held, operates with approximately 8 employees, and extends its reach into the EU and Canada via a distribution partnership with Dutch Wasabi in Amsterdam.

Name

The Wasabi Company

Legal name

The Watercress Company

Website

https://thewasabicompany.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Wasabi Company is the UK's only commercial wasabi grower and an online retailer of fresh wasabi, Japanese pantry ingredients, own-brand condiments (Wasabi Label), and Japanese cookware, tableware and plants, serving Michelin-star restaurants, home cooks, retailers and gardeners from its Dorset/Hampshire farms and Dorchester headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Foods

NAICS

All Other Specialty Food Retailers (445298), Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (3114)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

International Specialty Ingredients & Import Markets (CRAHAFAL)

Keywords

• Fresh wasabi cultivation
• Japanese ingredients online
• Specialty food e-commerce
• Wasabi growing UK
• Japanese pantry wholesale

Headquarters

HQ city

Owermoigne, Dorchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: B2C e-commerce through the company's own online store, selling fresh wasabi, Japanese ingredients, plants, cookware, tableware, drinks and gift sets directly to consumers.
2. Trade Restaurant Accounts: B2B sales to chefs and restaurants with dedicated trade accounts for professional bulk ordering of fresh produce and ingredients.
3. Wholesale Distribution: Wholesale supply to retailers who stock The Wasabi Company's products in their own stores.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Wasabi Company is the UK's only commercial grower of fresh wasabi, cultivating rhizomes in mineral-rich water on farms in Dorset and Hampshire (taking at least 18 months to harvest) and importing additional fresh wasabi from Shizuoka, Japan. It also operates an online Japanese ingredients supermarket selling its own award-winning Wasabi Label condiments alongside a broad range of Japanese pantry staples, fresh citrus, plants and trees, cookware, tableware, drinks, and gift kits, served to both consumers and trade (chefs, restaurants, retailers, wholesalers) via its own e-commerce storefront and dedicated trade accounts.

Product overview

The Wasabi Company operates an online Japanese ingredients supermarket built around fresh wasabi as its flagship category. The portfolio comprises three tiers: (1) Fresh & Plants — UK-grown and Japanese wasabi rhizomes, wasabi kits (Starter Kit, Pro & Grow Kit, Starter & Soy Set with Serving Dish), wasabi leaves, stems and flowers, live wasabi plants, Japanese citrus trees, Japanese seeds, and Niwaki garden tools; (2) Ingredients & Pantry — the company's own Wasabi Label sub-brand of award-winning condiments (Wasabi Mustard, Sanbaizu, Vegan Sudachi Kombu Ponzu, Organic White Sesame Oil, Wasabi Powder, Yuzu Marmalade, craft spirits including Sansho Spiced Rum), alongside a broad Japanese pantry range covering soy sauce, ponzu, miso, dashi, mirin, rice, noodles, sesame, seaweed, vinegars, oils, seasonings, tofu-making, baking, snacks, and shiitake mushrooms; and (3) Cookware, Tableware & Lifestyle — Japanese BBQ (Konro Grills, Binchotan Charcoal), cookware (Nagatani donabe pots, knives, kitchen tools), tableware (bento boxes, sakeware, bowls, chopsticks), drinks (sake, umeshu, spirits, soft drinks, tea), and gift kits. The company also grows wasabi in Dorset and Hampshire and serves both direct-to-consumer and trade (chefs, retailers, wholesalers) channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wasabi Label: Own-brand range of award-winning condiments, drinks, and seasonings including wasabi mustard, Sanbaizu, ponzu, sesame oil, spirits, vinegars, and wasabi powder. Has won 28 Gold Stars in the Great Taste Awards including 3 Gold Stars for Wasabi Mustard, Sanbaizu, Vegan Sudachi Kombu Ponzu, Organic White Sesame Oil, and Sansho Spiced Rum.

Products and services

• Fresh UK-Grown Wasabi Fresh wasabi rhizomes grown on the company's own farms in Dorset and Hampshire in mineral-rich water replicating traditional Japanese stream conditions. Rhizomes take approximately 18 months to reach harvest and are sold whole, unprocessed, ready to grate just before serving. Available to consumers, chefs, restaurants and wholesalers.
• Fresh Japanese Wasabi (Imported) Fresh wasabi rhizomes imported from Shizuoka prefecture in Japan, sourced directly from trusted commercial growers. Available as individual rhizomes or in 250g, 500g and 1kg packs.
• Wasabi Plants (Live)

Quantifiable outcome

• 28 Gold Stars in Great Taste Awards, with 5 products receiving 3 Gold Stars

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Dutch WasabicoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEU distribution partnership for customers in the EU and Canada. Dutch Wasabi in Amsterdam serves as the distribution partner for The Wasabi Company's products where direct international shipping from UK is not possible (e.g., fresh wasabi cannot be shipped to Canada).
• Japanese Artisanal SupplierscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term sourcing relationships with Japanese artisanal suppliers, many of whom have been in business for centuries. Suppliers are selected for quality and provenance of authentic Japanese ingredients.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Clearspring: UK-based organic Japanese and macrobiotic food brand distributing miso, soy sauce, seaweed, and condiments through retail and wholesale. Comparable as an established UK distributor of authentic Japanese specialty foods with overlapping pantry categories and a similar quality-credentialed positioning.
• The Japanese Pantry: UK online retailer specializing in Japanese ingredients, snacks, and tableware imported from Japan. Direct competitor in the authentic-Japanese DTC ingredient space, particularly overlapping with Wasabi Company's pantry, drinks, and cookware ranges.
• Yutaka: Japanese food brand selling sushi kits, noodles, sauces, and Japanese pantry staples through UK supermarkets and DTC channels. Comparable as a Japanese specialty food brand operating in the UK market with overlapping pantry categories competing against the Wasabi Label range.
• Sous Chef: UK-based online specialty retailer focused on Japanese and pan-Asian ingredients, cookware, and tableware for home cooks and chefs. Competes directly with The Wasabi Company for the same DTC customer base across overlapping Japanese pantry, cookware, and tableware categories.

Emerging players

• Pacific Northwest Wasabi: One of the few commercial wasabi growers outside Japan, operating in the Pacific Northwest of the US. Comparable as a small-scale specialty wasabi cultivator pursuing the same fresh-wasabi market as The Wasabi Company, though in a different geography.
• Oasis Wasabi: UK-based wasabi grower operating in Dorset, one of the only other domestic producers attempting wasabi cultivation. Comparable as a direct domestic competitor in fresh UK-grown wasabi, though smaller and less established than The Wasabi Company.

Broad incumbents

• Mizkan: Major Japanese vinegar, sauces, and seasoning brand with established UK distribution. Comparable as a large-scale Japanese condiment producer whose ponzu, rice vinegar, and sesame oil ranges compete with The Wasabi Company's Wasabi Label products in the same retail fixtures.
• S&B Foods: Japan's leading wasabi paste and Japanese curry manufacturer whose tube wasabi is the dominant global imitation wasabi product. Comparable as a competitor in the broader 'wasabi category' — they supply the mass-market horseradish-based product that The Wasabi Company's fresh and authentic positioning explicitly differentiates against.
• Kikkoman: Global Japanese soy sauce and sauce brand with extensive retail presence in the UK and Europe. Competes broadly with the Wasabi Label condiment range (especially the soy sauce and ponzu categories) but at vastly larger scale across general-trade grocery rather than specialty/DTC.
• World Foods (BTL Brands / Tazaki): UK specialty food distributor of Japanese and other Asian cuisines supplying retail, foodservice, and wholesale channels. Comparable as an established multi-category Japanese food distributor competing for the same retail and wholesale stocking slots as The Wasabi Company's wholesale trade business.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WasabiGrowersUK
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@wasabigrowersuk
• Facebookfacebook.com/thewasabicompany
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-wasabi-company
• Instagraminstagram.com/wasabigrowersuk
• Pinterestpinterest.co.uk/WasabigrowersUK

Compliance2 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 The Wasabi Company