From this week, customers at Waitrose & Partners will be able to have freshly-made sushi delivered to them at work or at home within two hours. It will mean it is the only national supermarket currently offering made-to-order sushi with same-day delivery.

The products are freshly made in store at the supermarket's Sushi Daily counters and then delivered through its 'Waitrose Rapid Delivery' trial service, which launched last September. It enables customers in selected London postcodes* to have their groceries delivered within two hours or on the same day. 

The introduction of sushi to the service comes as Waitrose confirms that it has extended the Rapid trial from eight to 12 London postcodes* following encouraging early sales. The average number of orders has grown weekly by 20% - and sushi has been one of the most requested products to make available through the service. 

There are 25 different types of sushi available, all prepared in store by a skilled team of sushi artisans, with prices ranging from £2.50 for Avocado Maki to £35 for the Sakura Sunset, a sharing platter containing 54 pieces. Once made the sushi is packed in boxes with ice packs and delivered.

Since becoming the first national supermarket to introduce freshly made sushi into its shops in 2015 through its partnership with Sushi Daily, Waitrose & Partners has added 86 sushi counters and plans to add more counters later this year. 

Waitrose & Partners Concessions Manager, Kelly Gleeson, said: 

“The quality and freshness of the products available from the Sushi Daily counters has really excited customers with the counters becoming an integral feature of any shop we've added them to - and now we'll be the only supermarket delivering that experience direct to customers' home or workplace.  

“We've not only seen sushi sales increasing over time but a shift in when customers are buying it. While traditionally a lunchtime option, it's become increasingly popular throughout the day. Waitrose Rapid Delivery gives us even more flexibility in meeting our customers' needs.”  

Sushi Daily UK Managing Director, Daniel Coole said: 

"We're excited to partner with Rapid and offer our customers Sushi Daily on their doorstep. The fast speed of delivery complements the handmade sushi to order which has made it possible for our sushi to be delivered without compromising on freshness and quality - an important step as consumer demand for fresh take-away food gets stronger."

About Waitrose Rapid Delivery 

• *Waitrose Rapid Delivery is currently available  in the following postcodes SW1, SW3, SW5, SW6, SW7, SW10, SW11, SW18, WC1, WC2, EC1 and W1.
• Waitrose Rapid Delivery customers can choose up to 25 items from more than 1,500 products, including sushi, at rapid.waitrose.com.  
• Before completing their order customers are given the option to receive their shopping within two hours of placing the order or to specify a one-hour time slot on the same day. There is a £10 minimum spend and a £5 charge applies for using either service.  
• All products are hand–picked and prepared for delivery by Waitrose Partners before being collected and delivered by retail delivery startup, On the dot.
• Using On the dot cargo bikes and vans to make deliveries is predicted to save up to four tonnes of Greenhouse Gas emissions a year.  

About Waitrose & Partners

Waitrose & Partners has 349 shops in England, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands, including 61 convenience branches, and another 27 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 & Partners is an employee-owned business - all employees are Partners and have a say in how the business is run.

Waitrose & Partners exports products to more than 50 countries worldwide and has nine shops which operate under licence in the Middle East. The retailer's omnichannel business includes the online grocery service, Waitrose.com, as well as specialist online shops including waitrosecellar.com for wine and waitroseflorist.com for plants and flowers.