Sushi producer scoops SFA Small Business Award

BLUEBELL company Oishii Foods Ltd, the largest sushi producer in the Irish retail market, won the SFA Small Business Awards in the Food and Drink category, reports Maurice Garvey.

The business was founded by Ciara Troy in 2006, who was inspired be her time studying Japanese business and language as part of her BESS degree in Trinity College, to share her love of Japanese food.

Starting at farmers markets and then moving to kitchens in Bray and then Smithfield, last year they made a significant investment of €1m in a 4,000 square foot, state-of-the-art production facility in Bluebell.

The new facility will enable Oishii to more than double its production and meet the business’ forecasted growth levels of 50 per cent per annum over the next three years.

The move to Bluebell was also set to generate at least 10 additional jobs within the business.

Oishii’s retail customer base includes many of the top retailers in the country including Dunnes, Musgrave Group, Lidl, Tesco, Applegreen and independent stores.

Employing 40 people, the company makes sushi for the chilled convenience retail category.