EAT-JAPAN c/o Cross Media Ltd., February 2014

SUSHI AWARDS 2014: UK Sushi Championship

HYPER JAPAN is the UK’s biggest Japanese cultural event; the last event, in July 2013, recorded a visitor total in excess of 62,000 over three days. The visitor profile is diverse, from young professionals in their twenties and thirties with considerable disposable income to spend on leisure and interests, to young families, all the way to retirees.

Each year, one of the highlights of HYPER JAPAN is the SUSHI AWARDS: UK Sushi Championship. The SUSHI AWARDS are renowned as the longest-running sushi competition in the UK, run as an international event from 2006 to 2009. Renowned in the food and lifestyle press, the competition was initially established as a way to further promote Japanese food and ingredients to discerning British consumers.

The format is simple: five sushi chefs, representing their respective restaurants, prepare unique sushi creations which are then served to 1,400 ticket holders at the HYPER JAPAN event. Each ticket holder then votes for his or her favourite. The chef—and restaurant—in receipt of the most votes will be announced on the HYPER JAPAN main stage as the 2014 Sushi Champion, at the end of a special ceremony with a fun Japanese twist.

The fourth SUSHI AWARDS: UK Sushi Championship will be held as part of HYPER JAPAN 2014 from Friday, July 25-Sunday, July 27. Unlike this year, chefs will no longer be required to develop sushi rolls; entries can be in any sushi style. The chefs and restaurants taking part in the SUSHI AWARDS will have the opportunity to promote their culinary flair and their brand to the tens of thousands of visitors who visit HYPER JAPAN, as well as through Eat-Japan and HYPER JAPAN online channels, and the Japanese and British media who are invited to the event. A strategic and multi-channel approach to event PR will ensure participating restaurants gain exposure to both their core target consumers and a new audience with proven interest in Japan.

The five restaurants and their representative chefs will be selected on the basis of the sushi ideas submitted as part of the initial application. All Japanese restaurants in the UK are invited to submit an application, and the five nominations will be chosen from all applications by the selection panel. Chefs are encouraged to submit ideas which reflect both technical skill and creative flair. The inspiration behind the sushi and the combination of flavours will also be looked at by the selection panel.

Nominated restaurants will be provided with dedicated stall space within HYPER JAPAN and will also be given £1,000 to cover associated costs. The winning restaurant (or chef) will be awarded a cash prize of£300, a certificate, and a full-page advert in the January 2015 issue of Eat-Japan Magazine (including design work; approximate value £3,600).

The SUSHI AWARDS is a platform on which top and emerging chefs alike can compete with their peers while showcasing their skill, their passion, and their creative flair for sushi. For the audience, it’s a unique opportunity to taste the finest sushi prepared by some of the UK’s most exciting restaurants. We hope that you will consider being part of this vibrant and inspiring competition, which offers a matchless opportunity to promote your restaurant and brand to an actively engaged audience.

The application form is attached to the end of this document. Please fill out the form (you may expand each section as required to include all relevant information) and submit by either fax or email by Friday, April 25th 2014.

To submit, fax to: 020-8961-8757 or email to:

Contact

Ms EriMizuno Tel: 020-8963-9903, E-mail:

Ms Yuko Sasaki E-mail:

Venue

Earls Court, London (within a dedicated Sushi Awards stall at HYPER JAPAN)

Dates & times

Friday, July 2514:00-18:00（HYPER JAPAN 13:00-19:00）

Saturday, July 2611:00-13:30 & 16:00-18:30（HYPER JAPAN 09:15-14:30, 15:15-19:00）

Sunday, July 2711:00-16:00（HYPER JAPAN 09:00-18:00）

Outline

The five nominated restaurants will be provided with dedicated space at the UK Sushi Championship stall, where they will be required to prepare their sushi entries. Entries must be served during specific periods on each day of the event (approx. 4-5 hours per day). Tickets, which are sold in advance, entitle ticket holders to one piece of sushi from each nominated restaurant; ticket holders then vote for their favourite. The restaurant with the most popular sushi will be announced the UK Sushi Champion 2014 at the end of the final day of the event. The announcement is made at an awards ceremony held on the HYPER JAPAN main stage.

Exposure

The UK Sushi Championship will be promoted to consumers as a unique and unmissable opportunity to taste the very best sushi from five leading sushi restaurants in the UK at a single event. Coverage will focus on nominated restaurants, representative chefs, and sushi entries, and represents an exceptional opportunity to generate interest in the talent and creativity that restaurants can offer.

Information on nominated restaurants, representative chefs, and sushi entries will be available online and at the event, while pre- and post-event PR will ensure maximum interest in participating restaurants.

The multi-channel PR campaign will incorporate leaflets, official websites, e-newsletters, social media (Facebook, Twitter) and print and online advertising. Key media outlets and journalists will be briefed on the competition and invited to attend. At the venue, signage will be provided to highlight restaurant names, and Championship programmes will be distributed.

Ticketing System

  • Sushi tickets: retail price of £12 (provisional); ticket holders are entitled to five pieces of sushi, one from each nominated restaurant. A HYPER JAPAN entry ticket is required in addition to a UK Sushi Championship ticket.
  • Sales channels: in advance (online), on the day
  • Ticket availability: 1,400 tickets over three days. Chefs will be required to prepare the following amounts of sushi: Friday, 300 pieces; Saturday, 600 pieces; Sunday, 500 pieces

On presentation of a ticket at the UK Sushi Championship counter, the ticket holder will be given five sushi vouchers and a voting form. These vouchers can then be exchanged for one piece of sushi from each nominated restaurant.

Eligibility & Requirements

Submission of an application form indicates that the restaurant has understood and accepted all of the following conditions.

Volume of sushi to be prepared

Whatever type of sushi is prepared (e.g. nigiri, maki, gunkan, etc.), a total of 1,400 pieces isto be prepared over the three days, as follows:

Friday, 25th July300 pieces

Saturday, 26th July600 pieces

Sunday, 27th July500 pieces

*In addition, chefs are asked to prepare an additional 30 pieces per day, for VIP and press guests.

Stall Details

  • The stall space provided will be 4m² (provisional) for each restaurant
  • Restaurants will be provided with a small refrigerator and tables. Gas cannot be used inside the venue.
  • The stall space will have no electricity supply other than that for the refrigerator. It is not possible to prepare ingredients using an electric hob, but a blowtorch may be used.
  • Restaurants will be able to use a sink for washing up located in the venue, but this sink cannot be used for any purpose other than washing up. The sink cannot be used for any purpose other than the SUSHI AWARDS.
  • There are two handwash sinks located near the stall space.
  • No other equipment will be provided; the restaurant must bring all other equipment required.

Costs

  • Restaurants will be paid £1,000 inclusive to cover the cost of ingredients and expenses.
  • No other costs, including but not limited to accommodation and travel, will be covered.

Entry Sushi

•The application form should give the recipe for your entry sushi, and should also give as much detail as possible about the inspiration behind the sushi, the flavour combination, and any specific points of appeal.

•The application should be accompanied by photographs of the proposed entry sushi.

•The previous four events have required that entry sushi be maki-zushi, or sushi rolls. This will not be the case for the 2014 competition. Any type of sushi may be made, as long as it can be made within the budget for ingredients provided by the organiser to the nominated restaurant, including but not limited to maki-zushi (sushi rolls), gunkan (battleship) sushi, nigiri sushi, oshi-zushi (pressed sushi). All sushi entries must use vinegared sushi rice.

•Entry sushi may be sushi already served at your restaurant or new recipes.

•Sushi must be prepared at your own restaurant. The HYPER JAPAN venue has no facilities or equipment available other than sinks for washing up.

•Entry sushi is served to ticket holders in exchange for vouchers. Ticket holders will progress along the stall, being served one piece from each restaurant in turn. Serving staff will be present to accept vouchers and serve sushi. These staff members will be arranged by the organiser.

•Restaurants are advised to arrange for assistant(s) in addition to the representative chef.

•Eat-Japan supports responsible fishing. Restaurants are asked to refrain from the use of blue fin tuna, which is said to be under threat from non-sustainable fishing methods.

•Restaurants are encouraged to use ingredients from competition sponsors. It may be possible to obtain quantities of sponsor products free of charge for competition use.

Submission deadline: Friday, April 25

Submit by Fax (020-8961-8757) or E-mail ()

Restaurant Name
Restaurant Address
Restaurant Tel No. / Website
Chef Name / Job Title
Contact Person Name / Job Title
Contact Person Tel/Email
◆Restaurant Description
Please include any particular features of your restaurant you would like to highlight, and include details of any relevant reviews. This information will be used as the basis of your restaurant description featured online and in print. Please give as much detail as possible.
◆Chef Profile
Please give details of the chef’s background, any awards previously won, press coverage, and particular skills or qualities you feel are relevant to the competition. Please give as much detail as possible.
Sushi Recipe Idea 1 / Name:
Description：
Inspiration/concept：
Ingredients：
Method：
Sushi Recipe Idea 2 / Name:
Description：
Inspiration/concept：
Ingredients：
Method：
◆Images: please supply the following images. At least one of each type of image is required. Images should be A5 in size, at a resolution of 3000dpi or above; if taking with a digital camera, please take at the highest possible resolution setting. Images should be taken in natural light, where possible, without using flash lighting.
１）Chef: headshot (chest upwards), wearing chef whites, taken inside the restaurant
２）Restaurant: images of (a) restaurant interior and (b) dish(es) served at the restaurant