Get Ready for National Rice Week (8–14 September 2025).

National Rice Week is just around the corner — the perfect excuse to put rice centre-stage for a week of easy wins on your menu. From katsu bowls and biryanis to stuffed peppers and rice salads, there’s a dish (and margin) for every service.

What is National Rice Week?

Run by The Rice Association, National Rice Week celebrates the versatility, value and variety of rice — encouraging everyone to try new grains and recipes. It’s an easy tie-in for pubs, cafés, street food traders, schools and contract caterers.

Rice is firmly woven into the UK food scene. Outside of British cuisine, Indian restaurants are the most numerous nationwide, and rice-led cuisines — from Chinese and Thai to Japanese and Indonesian — account for more than a fifth of restaurant styles. It’s no surprise, then, that UK rice consumption continues to grow as our tastes diversify.

UK Rice: Quick Facts

• Although rice isn’t grown in the UK, the domestic rice sector is worth around £1 billion a year*.
• UK consumption has surged — roughly a 530% increase since the 1970s*.
• 88% of UK households buy rice*.
• Microwavable rice was developed in the UK and pouch formats now account for over half of retail sales by value*.

Simple Ways to Take Part

• Create a limited-time duo: e.g., chicken katsu bowl + roasted veg miso bowl (VE).
• Offer a “rice of the day”: rotate jasmine, basmati, brown or arborio.
• Batch smart for service: cook ahead, hot-hold safely, and serve fast during the rush.
• Make it merchandisable: clear naming on the pass and simple POS so customers spot it.

Why use a rice cooker instead of a pan?

• Consistency, batch after batch: no scorched bottoms or gummy centres; dial in your ratio and repeat.
• Set-and-forget: frees a burner and a pair of hands; automatic switch to keep-warm at the end of cooking.
• Predictable yield: easier portion control with scoops/GN pans, less overcooking and waste.
• Better holding for service: dedicated keep-warm helps you serve on demand; verify 63°C+ in the core with a probe.
• Capacity that fits your trade: from 3.6L to 10L — small cafés to banquets without juggling multiple pans.
• Cleaner, calmer pass: fewer boil-overs and starchy foam incidents; non-stick/polished bowls clean down fast.
• Energy & labour savings: more efficient than babysitting a hob for 20–30 minutes per batch.

Pans are fine for one-offs; for service, a rice cooker gives you repeatable quality with less faff.

Kit Check: Rice Cookers & Hot Holding

• Rice cookers: we stock Roband Robalec and Diamond models from 3.6L up to 10L — so there’s something for small cafés through to high-volume sites.
• Choosing capacity: 3.6L for light lunch trade; 5–6L for steady service; 8–10L for batch cooking, buffets and events.
• Hot holding: bain-marie or hot cupboard to keep portions service-ready without drying out.
• Portion control: GN pans for tidy plating and consistent GP.

Browse our range of rice cookers and get set for the week.

Food Safety Note

Cook, cool and reheat rice safely, and hot-hold above 63°C during service. Keep portions steaming hot throughout and follow official guidance.

Want to read more about National Rice Week? Visit the Rice Association website.