The Sushi Co Opens in Guildford with Good Quality Healthy Food

Published on: 7 Nov, 2026
Updated on: 7 Nov, 2026

Article sponsored by Experience Guildford

By Cristina Lia Trujillo

A new branch of The Sushi Co has opened in Guildford with its live sushi kitchen where chefs make every order by hand in full view of customers.

The restaurant at 221 High Street launched on Saturday, October 3, giving away 500 sushi rolls to mark the occasion.

The launch also included a spin-the-wheel game and a Japanese taiko performance.

Haran, Head of Operations at Sushi Co, stands outside Guildford Sushi Co.

Head of cperations at Sushi Co, Haran, stands outside Guildford Sushi Co.

Operations manager Haran (full name Somasekaram Thushiharan) says he is thrilled to be bringing the brand to the town. He said: “I’m really excited to open a site in Guildford, and looking forward to serving great-quality sushi to Guildford residents.”

The Sushi Co opened its first restaurant in London’sCanary Wharf and will celebrate its fifth anniversary in January.

Guildford is its 38th restaurant and one of a wave of new openings outside London this year, alongside East Grinstead, Liverpool and Manchester.

Haran, who has around 30 years’ experience in quick-service restaurants, including Papa John’s and Pizza Hut, joined the company three years ago.

He says the move beyond the capital was driven by customers who had already discovered the brand, and a momentum that felt inevitable.

Guildford Sushi Co launch day.

He said: “There were a lot of enquiries, like ‘when are you coming to our town?’, from people that have tried us over the last two years. So I think this is a good place to start, and a good way of getting our product out and the name out.”

What sets the restaurant apart, he says, is that nothing is pre-packed. Where many sushi outlets sell ready-made boxes, The Sushi Co waits for the order. This keeps the restaurant an authentic one, devoted to traditional methods.

He added: “Once the order is placed, then our chef will make them by hand, and we don’t use any machines for rolling out the rice.”

The salmon comes from Scotland and is delivered six times a week, while the tuna is line-caught rather than net-caught.

Haran confirmed that Sushi Co is trying to keep its carbon footprint as low as possible by bringing in salmon from the UK.

Guildford is not new territory for him. He knows the town from his Papa John’s days and believes the new restaurant will sit comfortably alongside its neighbours, having long believed in the area as a destination hotspot.

A Japanese taiko performance outside Guildford Sushi Co on launch.

A Japanese taiko performance outside Guildford Sushi Co during its launch.

He said: “It’s got a student population, you’ve got a university, and it’s a nice town, and I think it will go really well, complement really well, with the high street.”

Haran also has an eye on Guildford’s commuters, as well as on jobs for local people. He said: “People do work in London, they live in Guildford, so that also helps them. They don’t have to come to London to have a taste of our product.”

Getting a new site ready, he admits, is rarely glamorous. The team has to be trained, the builders finished and everything in place before the doors open. He said: “Most of the time we work throughout the night, the day before the opening, to make sure that it’s a perfect opening.”

For him, the appeal of sushi is partly generational. His son, now 23, belongs to a generation that he says is far more health-conscious than his own was, when pizza and burgers ruled.

He said: “Now there’s a lot more awareness about what you’re eating, and it’s become a trend. It’s good-quality food, healthy food, and it’s readily available.”

Until recently, he says, diners had to choose between low-quality supermarket sushi and expensive high-end Japanese restaurants, with little in between.

His own pick from the menu is the Ebi Panko: crispy prawns rolled inside the rice, topped with avocado, fried noodles and tobiko fish eggs. He said: “Tastes brilliant.”

The menu is fully halal, and customers can eat in, order for collection or have food delivered.

As for what comes next, Haran’s ambition is simple. He said: “I’d love to serve the whole town, and for everyone to taste the product and hopefully love it.”

Customers can get 40% off their first three orders through The Sushi Co app or website with code GLD40 until December 31, 2026 (minimum spend £19.99, excludes platters, sushi boxes, drinks, desserts and meal deals).

The Sushi Co at 221 High Street, Guildford, GU1 3BJ is open every day from 11am to 11pm.