From Gill to Tail: A conversation with Executive Chef Masaki Sugisaki, Dinings SW3
- James Massoud
- Sep 23
- 5 min read
At Dinings SW3 in Chelsea, Executive Chef Masaki Sugisaki is quietly leading one of the UK’s most thoughtful and progressive seafood movements. Through his Gill to Tail series, now in its second season, Masaki spotlights underused fish species and forgotten cuts – everything from bones to tails – and transforms them into elegant, Japanese-influenced dishes with global flair. In this exclusive interview with The Knife, Masaki opens up about the origins of the series, why he goes out on boats with his fishermen, and how he’s using his intimate 12-seat sushi counter to create a ripple effect in sustainable fine dining.
Gill to Tail has become a signature platform for your sustainable seafood ethos. What inspired the ‘whole fish’ approach, and what do you hope it changes within the industry?
It’s embedded in Japanese culinary philosophy to respect life by using every part of the ingredient – that was instilled in me from day one. My parents even checked the bins when I first entered the kitchen to make sure I wasn’t wasting anything reusable. It’s in my DNA. As food professionals, we can’t ignore the future of seafood. I wanted to not only implement this at Dinings SW3 but also inspire other chefs to do the same. That’s how Gill to Tail was born.
You’ve cooked with some of the UK’s most innovative chefs through this series. How do these collaborations push your own creativity, and what have you learned from working with chefs like Jamie Lee or Kyu Jeong Jeon?
Hugely. I used to keep new ideas in my head, but this project made me realise how much further I could go by actually working alongside other chefs. The biggest challenge is always bringing together our two styles into one cohesive menu that still carries my identity. Collaborating with chefs like Jamie Lee [Executive Chef of Kødbyens Fiskebar, Copenhagen] or Kyu Jeong Jeon [Chef-Owner of Bokman and Dongnae, Bristol] has been especially enriching. For example, working with Korean ingredients like garlic and chilli – which aren’t traditional in Japanese cooking – helped me see how adaptable and expansive our methods can be.
Dinings SW3 blends Japanese culinary philosophy with Western technique. How do you maintain balance between tradition and innovation, especially when working with such diverse collaborators?
I never sacrifice my base, at least 60 to 70% of the dish is rooted in authentic Japanese technique and philosophy. I approach the menu like a musical composition: starting slow, building momentum, and finishing with a high. My collaborators bring their own rhythm, and I weave that into the overall melody while ensuring the story still resonates with my vision.
The tail-infused sake has become a talking point of Gill to Tail. What sparked that idea, and how does it reflect your broader attitude toward zero-waste cooking?
It’s based on a traditional Japanese technique where fish is dehydrated, toasted over charcoal, then infused into hot sake. By dehydrating fish parts, you concentrate the umami; it’s like dry-aging or slow-roasting. I adapted this approach to use fish tails and bones, turning what’s often discarded into something bold and flavour-rich. It’s a perfect example of zero-waste fine dining.
Sourcing directly from fishermen and spending time on their boats is unusual in fine dining. What have those relationships taught you about the seafood supply chain, and how does it affect your menus?
It started from frustration. I couldn’t trust the quality I was getting from fish suppliers in the UK, especially for simple, clean preparations. So I went straight to the source. The UK, like Japan, is an island nation with rich waters, but that potential wasn’t being tapped into. I started visiting fishing ports, asking questions. Eventually, a few fishermen said, "Why don’t you come on the boat with us?" That changed everything. I saw sustainable methods first-hand and built direct relationships. I even started paying them more than the market rate to ensure they’d send their catch directly to me. It's not scalable yet, but we're building a business model to support this.
Why is the South West such an important region for you personally, and what does its produce offer that makes it central to both Dinings SW3 and this year’s chef lineup?
It’s where I’ve built long-term relationships with fishermen over more than a decade. I’ve seen how the waters are changing – species disappearing, temperatures rising. These are signs of global warming, and if there’s something I can do, I want to act. The guest chefs this year all share that South West connection, and it’s important they understand the same fishing context we work with.
In your view, what’s the most underused or misunderstood part of the fish, and how do you go about transforming it into something guests would never expect?
The bones, the head, the gelatin-rich trimmings – they all carry beautiful amino acids and deep umami. Most people only use the fillet, which is often less than 40% of the fish. That’s ridiculous. We create dishes from what’s left behind. One of our signature plates, for example, uses the "cheek" of the fish, shaped like an apple, and guests always say it’s the best part.
You serve just 12 people at a time at your sushi counter. How does this level of intimacy shape the dining experience, and what do you hope guests take away from a Gill to Tail dinner?
It’s not just dinner – it’s education. We can’t explain our philosophy to an entire dining room, but with 12 people, we can have real conversations. Guests see the whole process: Jamie pulling apart a fish, me preparing the bones for broth. Those moments stick with people, and that’s how you build change – one conversation at a time.
What do you look for in the chefs you invite to collaborate? Is it more about culinary compatibility, shared values around sustainability, or something else entirely?
First and foremost, they must share our values on sustainability. After that, I seek out diversity in approach. Jamie, for instance, comes from a European background. Kyu and Duncan [Robertson, also Chef-Owner of Bokman and Dongnae, Bristol] bring Korean methods. These contrasts expand my knowledge and bring fresh dynamism to the menu. It’s not about creating a uniform Japanese experience, it’s about pushing the limits of what seafood can be.
When it comes to seafood sustainability, the conversation often centres on species, but you’ve chosen to focus on method, waste, and locality. Why do you think that’s the more urgent conversation?
Because that’s where the real issue lies. Industrial-scale production is the problem, it’s destroying ecosystems. Salmon farming looks sustainable on paper, but it harms the environment. Large trawlers dredge the seabed and stress the fish, which affects flavour and health. If we don’t reconsider the methods, even the "right" species won’t save us. Fishing sustainably, respectfully, and locally must come first.
You’ve described your cooking as 'mood-driven'. How does your emotional state or the environment around you influence a dish, especially when building a collaborative menu?
It depends on many things: the chef I’m collaborating with, the fishermen texting me photos of their latest catch, or what’s in my head that day. I prioritise my guest chefs’ comfort and let that set the tone. I act as a balancer, drawing on emotion, seasonality, and the catch of the day to shape the menu.
How do you see the Gill to Tail series evolving? Could it grow into something larger, or do you believe its power lies in its intimacy and exclusivity?
I hope we can keep growing it; maybe do three or four events a year, ideally tied to the seasons. And I’d love to see similar concepts pop-up elsewhere, run by other chefs in other countries. Even if it starts small, I believe these kinds of collaborations can create real change.
