Created by cook, potter and teacher Adrienne Baba, Kama is a Japanese kitchen and pottery studio with a mission to share the joy of delicious recipes and beautiful handmade pots to serve them on. Kama also supplies bespoke tableware to restaurants internationally and holds Japanese cookery classes and pop-up tasting menu evenings.

“Back in the 70s, not knowing a word of Japanese, I boarded the Trans-Siberian Railway to Japan – an adventure that would lead me to Tokyo for five years and inspire me for many more.

Japan taught me to see the beauty in everyday things. I studied the language, explored the mountains, discovered the pleasure of Japanese cookery and, guided by a local potter, learnt to make pots.

Handmade pottery was everywhere and a part of everyday life. Each pot would always be carefully chosen to show the food at its best and arranging the food on the plate was an art (moritsuke). This fascinated me and I was hooked.

After I returned to Oxfordshire, I set up a small studio and continued to develop my practice – making pots, running cookery classes and working with chefs on bespoke pieces for acclaimed restaurants around the world including Roka, Zuma and Coya.

In 2013, after years of experimenting and refining, I opened a pop-up restaurant in our home serving a tasting menu of seasonal Japanese food. I called it Kama meaning kiln or iron pot for cooking rice. It was great fun and I was amazed at how quickly it became popular simply through word of mouth.

Now I’m bringing Kama to a wider audience through our online shop and recipes so people can experience the food and pots at home. I'd like to share with people the pleasure I’ve discovered since those early Tokyo days, encourage them to try new things and see beauty in the everyday.”

– Adrienne