ABOUT US
From Our Family to Yours – The Story of Hakkō House
Konnichiwa! Welcome to Hakkō House — where deep-rooted Japanese traditions meet bold, modern British creativity. Born in the heart of Somerset’s Frome, we’ve grown from a humble home kitchen into one of the UK’s most exciting independent Japanese food ventures.
Family has always been the soul of Hakkō House. What began as a Friday-night sushi box takeaway from our home quickly became something more — a shared love of Japanese cooking that resonated far beyond our dining table. Recipes passed down through generations, tweaked with care, and tested with love (often by our proud in-house ‘Chief Taster’ — our eldest daughter, and now joined by our youngest) became the building blocks of a menu designed to nourish and delight.
Our journey took a major leap in summer 2023 when we opened our first restaurant: a converted shipping container tucked in the magical woodlands of Marston Park. A place described by Country Living UK as “beamed straight from Kyoto,” it was an extraordinary moment for us — a critically acclaimed space that celebrated Japanese cuisine in a truly one-of-a-kind setting.
But our path didn’t stop there. That experience lit a spark. We realised our love for connecting with people through food could reach even further — beyond the woods, out into the world.
And so, Hakkō House evolved. Today, we’re on the streets — serving our vibrant, hand-crafted Japanese dishes at festivals, markets, private events and pop-ups. We’ve embraced street food as a way to share our food with more people, more freely — and with just as much heart, soul, and precision as ever. This is a step forward into something even more exciting, more accessible, and more dynamic.
We’ve been proud to bring our food to some of the UK’s most iconic and exciting festivals, including We Out Here, WOMAD and Shindig. And this year, we’re thrilled to be confirmed for Glastonbury, End of the Road, We Out Here, and The Big Retreat — sharing our food with thousands of people who, like us, love community, creativity, and really good Japanese food.
At Hakkō House, fermentation is at the core of what we do — the word ‘Hakkō’ (はっこ), itself means fermentation in Japanese. We believe in real food that’s nourishing, flavourful, and rooted in age-old techniques — from slow-brewed miso broths to koji-marinated karaage. Every dish is prepared with purpose, care, and ingredients we deeply respect.
We serve up hand-rolled sushi made with traditional techniques and family recipes, comforting miso soups enriched with seasonal vegetables, crispy chicken karaage, probiotic tsukemono pickles, teriyaki tofu, and more — all 100% gluten-free and full of umami.
We’re so grateful you’re here, arigatou gozaimasu for being a part of the Hakkō House story, we look forward to seeing (and more importantly, feeding) you very soon.
