Would you recognise Kimchi if it hit you in the face? Almost certainly your next-door neighbour would. They’ve been piling it into their faces like it’s going out of fashion. But they needn’t worry, Kimchi’s worldwide market share value is growing at a CAGR of 5% and will hit $3660m later this year. Tomorrow has a face and it’s covered in Kimchi.
So, what’s behind Britain’s insatiable appetite for spicy fermented cabbage? Hallyu, the Korean wave.
The stratospheric rise in popularity of Korean culture continues to have a dramatic effect on British tastes. From K-pop bands like BTS and BlackPink to K-dramas like Squid Games, Brits just can’t get enough of anything and everything Korean.
And Korean food is no exception. Less of a trend and more of a mainstay, like a (corn)dog with a bone the demand for Korean food has surged to become the number one cuisine Brits want to eat more of in 2024*. So, move over Sriracha, make way prawn crackers, the Asian cuisine on everyone’s lips is “Korean” and there’s only one brand you need to know if you want food that’s authentic, delicious, and full of flavour – bibigo.
Unlike others, bibigo, now available in Sainsbury’s, brings to dinner tables across the UK authentic Korean food, made with the passion of a nation and centuries of craft, exactly as it is enjoyed in Korea.
Sainsbury’s have dived headfirst into the Korean wave, so shoppers can now experience a range of delicious, authentic, high-quality bibigo products, offering all the convenience demanded by the modern British consumer. These include their wildly popular Seaweed Snacks, a range of delicious sauces from Korean BBQ to Tteokbokki, with its iconic sweet and spicy taste, and the K-cuisine staple, Kimchi, which frankly tastes as great as healthy feels.
Without a doubt every Sainsbury’s shopper, from families dipping their toes into the Korean wave for the first time to Korean aficionados satisfying their insatiable thirst, will be able to taste the difference with authentic Korean cuisine from bibigo.
CJ Foods, the parent company of fast-growing bibigo, is the largest food company in Korea with global sales of 11.1 trillion KRW in 2022, and is now leading the globalisation of Korean food, bringing the flavours of Korea to new markets.
CJ Foods U.S. business has witnessed impressive growth over the past five years following its acquisition of the leading American food manufacturer Schwan’s Company in 2019.
Q1 2024 saw increased sales volume based on the no. 1 market position in the Americas and maintained high growth in new regions such as Europe and Australia.(sales exceeded 100 billion won last year, with Australia’s sales surging by 70 percent in the first quarter of this year alone). In the same period, bibigo’s Mandu solidified a No. 1 market share in the U.S. (based on grocery channels), surpassing the sales of the second-ranked brand by more than threefold.
The uptake has been phenomenal: as of October 2023, Korean seaweed products alone have been sold to 120 countries worldwide, totalling £530million in exports from January to October 2023, a 20.4% increase compared to the same period of the previous year – bringing the authentic taste of Korea to food lavers everywhere!
Despite this ever-growing interest in Korean food, much of it sold in British supermarkets lacks the expertise, love and ‘bibim’ (the desire for balance and harmony) that is at the heart of everything produced by bibigo.
Jisu Han, managing director CJ Foods UK, said: “Our products are lovingly crafted with the same recipes and ingredients that are used in Korea. This ensures that every bite of a bibigo snack or meal is an authentic Korean experience.”
“bibigo is on a mission to bring the authentic flavours of Korea to the UK. As the world’s No.1 Koreandumpling brand, bibigo promises quality like no other, bringing the best of Korean flavour and providing British consumers with the authentic culinary experience they are crying out for.”
Available now at Sainsbury’s.
