Isaké Ltd is a young and dynamic company that brings Premium Japanese sakés to the British market.  Although a relatively new company, the story of the way it emerged is the culmination of a much longer story.

Xavier Chapelou and Jean-Louis Naveilhan, two French sommeliers, and Kumiko Ohta, a Japanese woman with a lifelong passion for her country's native drink, met at Selfridges in London, when the retail giant was hosting the 2001 'Tokyo life' event, showcasing and promoting a range of Japanese products.

Kumiko was the coordinator of the event, responsible for organising saké tasting and liaising with the brewers in Japan. At the time, Jean-Louis and Xavier were wine consultants at Selfridges and, like most people, knew very little about Japanese sakés. 'The only saké we knew was the Chinese version which is usually served hot in a tiny cup'.

Kumiko persuaded them to try Premium Japanese saké and, as sommeliers, they became very excited at the prospect of discovering a new drink. According to Xavier "just as surfers strive for the perfect wave, a good sommelier should always be in search of new tastes to try to find the ultimate sensation".

At the beginning of the tasting, they were naturally trying to compare saké with wine, a taste they knew already. However, as the tasting went on, they found themselves comparing the different sakés they had previously tasted – and forgetting about wine.

By the end, after trying about 20 different sakés, Xavier and Jean-Louis were left surprised --and more than a little intrigued-- by the whole experience. They had discovered unusual flavours they'd never encountered before. The taste was amazingly aromatic, the nose was open, the palate was incredible and the aftertaste persistently smooths – all in all, a drink that in many ways was - in fact, very close to wine.

Some sakés were sweet, some medium or dry; some sakés were still, others sparkling. What surprised them above all was the sheer variety on offer.

"We were totally seduced by it and it was a real coup de foudre." Xavier and Jean-Louis recall. They stayed in touch and-- with Kumiko's encouragement-- decided to try more Japanese sakés, growing ever fonder of the tastes they encountered.

A short time after the Tokyo Life event, some of Selfridges' customers came back for more but were disappointed to discover they could no longer buy the saké they had only recently been introduced to since they were only available
as part of the promotion.

Completely seduced by the whole experience, and motivated by the prospect of sustained demand, Xavier, Jean-Louis and Kumiko decided to undertake a little marketing research. They wanted to know more about the availability and the market potential of Japanese sakés in the UK.

Their findings indicated that premium Japanese Sakés were not widely distributed in Europe. They were, however, very popular, and extensively available in the USA. These encouraging pointers were the stepping-stones that gave them the confidence to create Isaké Ltd so that they could share their passion with others.

@ Isaké 2007