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Meet the entrepreneurial brother and sister bringing Japan’s favourite dessert to the UK

The entrepreneurial pair of siblings behind a dessert company bringing a Japanese favourite to the UK are targeting revenues of over £4m next year following a deal with Ocado.

Howard and Vivien Wong, the brother and sister duo behind Little Moons, have devised a range of desserts based on the Japanese delicacy of mochi, a Far Eastern dessert favoured by the likes of Harry Styles and Kendall Jenner.

Consisting of a pounded sticky rice outer casing and filled with flavoured ice cream, mochi has been identified as one of the key food trends of 2016 by Google, and Little Moons looks set to capitalise on the hype after sealing its first national distribution deal with Ocado.

Little Moons Co-Founders Howard & Vivien Wong said: “Our listing with Ocado will be the first time mochi is available nationwide in Britain. When we launched Little Moons in 2015, we believed that this traditional Japanese delicacy had the potential to be just as popular in the UK as it is in its home country.

“This significant development takes mochi mainstream and allows more consumers than ever before to enjoy the brand.”

University of Cambridge graduate Howard and Vivien, who is a former City analyst at JP Morgan, spent two years crafting the recipe for their mochi range, working with Nobu’s head patisserie chef, Regis Cursan.

Now based out of their head office in Wembley, the pair are hoping its first UK-wide deal with the online grocer, combined with growth in its current distribution arrangements will see its sales grow 40% over the next 12 months and break the £4m barrier for the first time.

They added: “The growth of the company has been driven by accelerated consumer demand for innovative and luxurious ice cream and by providing Brits with access to a trending new product that they may never have tried before.

“Over the next 12 months, turnover is projected to increase by 40%, hitting an annual rate of £4 million for the first time. This has been primarily fuelled by increased distribution and growing sales with existing retailers.”