Oishii opens NJ vertical farm, slashes price for Omakase — the ‘Tesla of berries’

Let’s talk about some fancy Japanese berries with a price tag that makes you pause — even when that price is slashed by 60%.

Would you like a golden fork from Tiffany's with that?

On May 19, Oishii opened its largest facility yet: an indoor, vertical farm in Jersey City, N.J., for growing exclusively Omakase strawberries, previously selling for $50 and now $20 a pack. That’s still $1.82 for a  medium-sized berry and $2.50 for a large berry.

The company created a 74,000-square-foot farm in a former Anheuser-Busch factory, transforming it into the company’s flagship farm and new headquarters, according to a news release.

Omakase berries will be available at Northeast and West Coast retailers and are shoppable on www.oishii.com:

• $20 for trays of 11 medium berries or eight large berries;
• $11 for trays of six medium berries;
• $6 for trays of three medium berries; and
• The special-edition First Flower Berry will remain at $50 for a tray of six.

This summer, Omakase Berries will be available at a Whole Foods Market store opening in New York City’s NoMad neighborhood.

“Eating an Omakase Berry is a full sensory experience, and soon we can introduce them to customers stepping into our store,” Chris Manca, Whole Foods’ Northeast region local forager, said in the release.

Omakase berry beginnings

Oishii means “delicious” in Japanese. The company first introduced the Omakase Berry in 2018, touted by Michelin-starred chefs for its sweetness, aroma and creamy texture.

This berry variety was originally found in the fields of the Japanese Alps, where the winter season’s light rain, cool breeze and bright sun set ideal growing conditions. Oishii worked to recreate that climate with an indoor vertical farm, relying on robotics, automation and bee pollination.

Now, the company can lower the retail price of the berries after scaling up and improving efficiencies, such as using 40% less water and 60% less energy than its first-generation technologies.

“We’ve worked hard to pioneer advanced technology that unlocks a substantially more efficient way to grow our unrivaled strawberries,” Oishii Co-founder and CEO Hiroki Koga said in the release. “Our largest farm yet pairs the next frontier of indoor farming innovation with the care and precision of centuries-old Japanese farming techniques. We can’t wait for more people to enjoy an endless strawberry season with the Omakase Berry at its new price and its new home at Whole Foods Market.”

Fast Company magazine named Oishii one of the 10 most innovative food companies of 2022, calling it “the Tesla of strawberries” and “a fruit so delicious that it tastes more like candy than, well, a fruit.”

Bowery berries

This isn’t the only berry on the block.

In March, New York-based Bowery Farming added to its salad greens and herbs portfolio with the commercial launch of indoor-grown, bee-pollinated strawberries. The duo-pack of Garden Berry and Wild Berry varieties has a suggested retail price of $14.99 for the 8-ounce container, available at specialty retailers and high-end restaurants in the city, for starters.

“Strawberries are the first phase of a strategic road map focused on bringing unique and genetically diverse fruiting and vine crops to communities across the U.S. and eventually the globe,” Bowery Farming Founder and CEO Irving Fain said in March.

Onward, Oishii

The New Jersey berry farm is yet another step in Oishii’s expansion.

In October 2021, Oishii opened a Los Angeles farm, marking the first time Omakase Berries were available outside of the greater New York area. The company also closed a $50 million Series A funding round in February 2021.

Oishii is developing new strawberry varietals, as well as other types of flowering produce and vine fruits, such as tomatoes, melons and peppers.