World’s First Vegan Salmon Sushi To-Go Launches in UK

UK-based vegan sushi company Ima has launched the world’s first vegan salmon sushi to-go in Planet Organic, the UK’s largest certified organic supermarket.

The vegan sushi roll features fresh dill, avocado, and Ima’s signature vegan salmon, which is made from marinated carrots.  The company was founded by a father-daughter duo committed to protecting the world’s oceans from overfishing.

Every piece of Ima sushi is hand-rolled and sliced by hand, rather than by machine. Co-founder and owner Jessica has been hand-rolling sushi using a bamboo mat since she was six-years-old. The name, Ima, is the Japanese word for “now.”

In addition to combating overfishing using plant-based food, Ima is dedicated to fighting ocean plastic pollution. It is the first sushi company in the UK to use 100 percent biodegradable sushi trays.

“We’re friends of the ocean,” said the company. “It makes sense for us at ima, because sushi comes from the ocean but plastic sushi containers and soy sauce tubs are polluting the ocean. We want to change this.”

Ima isn’t the only brand to make a sustainable alternative to seafood using carrots. In the US, NYC-based vegan grocery store and deli, Orchard Grocer, makes vegan salmon lox using thinly-sliced marinated carrots. LA-based vegan Jewish deli Mort & Betty’s also uses carrots to make its plant-based lox.

Award-winning, NYC-based vegan sustainable seafood company, Ocean Hugger Foods is the creator of “Ahimi,” the world’s first vegan raw tuna fish. The company makes its sustainable tuna from marinated tomato, which is available at Whole Foods Market sushi counters throughout the city as well as select food service locations.

Good Catch Foods, co-founded by vegan chefs Derek and Chad Sarno – the former being the creator of Tesco’s “Wicked Kitchen” plant-based ready meal range -, recently launched vegan tuna fish in Whole Foods and online through Thrive Market earlier this year. Rather than opt for marinated produce, Good Catch Foods makes its product from a proprietary blend of legumes to make a vegan tuna with a protein content similar to the real chunk light tuna.

Ima vegan salmon sushi rolls are now available in Planet Organic.