The new sushi counters will be launched in co-operation with Sushi Daily, the European market leader in sushi bars and counters. The first Sushi Daily counter will be opened at Waitrose's new Battersea shop on 19 November.

This will be followed by further sushi counters in Bath and Godalming, with the intention to roll out to up to 50 branches across the country.

The counters are just one of many new innovative features, which Waitrose is introducing in its shops, including juice and smoothie bars, wine bars, tapas areas and eat-in bakeries.

The move is designed to ensure that the modern Waitrose reflects the needs of today's customers, many of whom will increasingly want delicious yet convenient food to eat on the go, or a quick and healthy option for an evening meal.

The Sushi Daily counters will be headed by a team of skilled sushi artisans, who will be preparing fresh products in front of customers throughout the day. The product offer consists of a wide range of hand-made and sustainably sourced sushi and maki, for Waitrose customers to purchase with their supermarket shop. A dedicated phone line will also be available for those looking to make larger 'platter' orders, catering for meetings and parties.

Anthony Wysome, Head of Store Development, Waitrose, says: 'Our customers' lifestyles are changing with the growth of eating on the move - and we are responding to this shift with our continuously developing food-to-go offering, including the new sushi feature.

Customers are increasingly attracted by products that can deliver for them on quality, convenience and health and sushi does this brilliantly. Having seen great growth in our excellent pre-packed sushi offer, we are excited to be able to now add in-store prepared sushi to our rapidly increasing range of hospitality offers. Whether for lunch or for later, we hope that customers enjoy both the outstanding quality of this new offer and the convenience, colour and interest it will bring to our shops.'

Growing in popularity in the UK, the Japanese dish is already a firm favourite with Waitrose customers. Recent data on pre-packed sushi shows that Waitrose has a grocery multiples market share of 18.1%, with year-on-year growth of 11.5%. With the added health benefits of omega-3 in the fish, and vitamins and minerals in the vegetables, sushi is a nutritious and versatile meal that Waitrose customers look set to enjoy more than ever.

Notes to editors

Waitrose - the Nation's Favourite Supermarket¹ and winner of the Best Supermarket² and Best Food and Grocery Retailer³ awards - currently has 343 shops in England, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands, including 61 convenience branches, and another 28 shops at Welcome Break locations. It combines the convenience of a supermarket with the expertise and service of a specialist shop - dedicated to offering quality food that has been responsibly sourced, combined with high standards of customer service.  Waitrose also exports its products to 50 countries worldwide and has seven shops in the Middle East. (www.waitrose.com)

¹ Conlumino Awards, 2014
² Good Housekeeping Best Supermarket 2014, Which? Best Supermarket 2014
³ Verdict Best Food and Grocery Retailer 2014

The Sushi Daily brand belongs to the company KellyDeli. KellyDeli was founded by Kelly Choi nd Jerome Castaing, with the support of renowned Master Sushi Chef Yamamoto Kunio. It already operates in six European countries, and will be bringing Sushi Daily to the UK supermarket industry through Waitrose.

Enquiries

For further information please contact:

Hannah Chance, Communications Manager Corporate
Email: hannah.chance@waitrose.co.uk
Telephone: 01344 826804
Mobile: 07525 273 147