Scotland had everything miso needs except the mould. Slow Sauce, in Banchory on Royal Deeside, is the first miso and shoyu brewery in the country, and it is the work of a chef and a scientist who arrived at it from opposite directions. Jonathan Hope spent ten years in London kitchens, most recently cooking for Yotam Ottolenghi at Rovi, and began making miso under the name Kultured in 2020 for London restaurants. Robin Sherriff founded The Koji Kitchen and the Fermenters Guild UK and wrote The Science of Fermentation for DK in 2025. What they make is miso and shoyu with no soybean in it. British oats do that work instead, along with Red Fox carlin peas, both from Hodmedod's. The koji spores still come from Japan. Everything goes into oak casks and waits: three months for the oat miso, twelve for the pea. The shoyu comes out amber rather than black, nearer a shiro style, malty from the oats. All of it is gluten-free, soy-free and vegan, pasteurised at 63°C so an unopened jar keeps for a year. They supply the Japanese Consulate of Scotland, which is the only endorsement that counts for this particular thing.

Awards and Recognition

Suppliers to the Japanese Consulate of Scotland

Social Media

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slow.sauce/

Can people visit or buy direct?

Visits are not possible. We do ship our products all over the UK if you'd like to order.

Website

https://www.slowsauce.co.uk/

Address Summary

Banchory, Scotland, AB31 5RP