An authentic Japanese restaurant has celebrated its fifth anniversary - as the owner reveals plans to sell up and downsize.

Auradaze, in Ambleside, offers customers a ‘slice of Japan’ including carefully selected ingredients from long-trusted suppliers across the globe in Kobe, Yokohama.

Inspired by his passion for Japanese cuisine and culture, head chef Darren Yates built a unique dining experience and brought it to the Lake District.

There are no menus to choose from at Auradaze. Instead customers are asked to observe Omakase and ‘trust the chef’.

The restaurant is currently up for sale as Darren is looking to downsize with a plan to offer an even more intimate Japanese experience for people. He wants to stay in the Lakes and said his ‘eyes are always open for a new opportunity’.

Darren spent five years in Japan during which he studied and classically trained in the art of Japanese cuisine before starting his own restaurant. He opened the 13th Japanese restaurant in the whole UK in Wilmslow, which grew rapidly and was followed by shops and delis.

Due to a focus on quality ingredients, Darren began importing produce from Kobe and Yokohama and even flying fish in from all over the world to ensure the authenticity of his dishes, which he observes to this day.

Delving deeper into his passion for food, Darren looked into the micro biology of Japanese food and began teaching students at Manchester University.

Darren was attached to the UK Trade & Industry and Foodexpo Japan while producing ready meals for exportation to Belgium and France before he decided to sell his restaurant and travel to Bora Bora.

In the south Pacific he served many famous faces and worked with some eminent names in Istanbul until he decided to return to the UK.

Darren aims to allow the individual to fully immerse themselves in Japanese culture by encouraging customers to share the experience with fellow diners. He said: “For me this really is the essence of Japanese food, being accompanied with good conversation and many shared memories.”

On Tuesday March 12, the restaurant celebrated its five year anniversary. Darren said: “I’ve been in the game a long time, I’ve worked all over the world and came up to the Lakes to semi-retire, the time was right to move to Ambleside. It’s a lovely place, the footfall is amazing, everyone comes out of the wild and needs something to eat.

“I call it ‘Mini Canada’, you forget what’s on your doorstep, sometimes you work inside in the kitchen all day then step out to see the sunset, and you just think ‘wow’, it gets taken for granted.”