Why K-food is rapidly gaining traction with the UK's foodies

Since the 1950s and ‘60s Asian cuisine has become increasingly established in the UK market. While Indian and Chinese foods have been long entrenched here, the development of other Asian cuisines, evidenced by the growing popularity of pan-Asian restaurants, is gaining momentum. And, increasingly, Korean food (K-food) is coming to the fore.

A recent article in Reader’s Digest noted that the rise in popularity of Korean culture, supermarket and restaurants has led to South Korean food becoming “the new favourite among foodies in the UK”.

South Korean culture, it noted, with K-pop – ranging from music to fashion to comedy – has influenced a whole generation and has opened the door to exploring associated interests, such as K-food.

Other sources point to the influence of social media to drive this trend with TikTok videos, tagged with #KoreanFood, seeing “a remarkable increase in views and engagement” with a staggering 700.9 thousand posts under that hashtag alone. They also point to the positive attributes of K-food with the “inclusion of fermented vegetables, balanced meals, and the boost of spices” making it attractive to consumers on both the health and taste fronts.

Meanwhile, street food and pop-up shops have also contributed to the escalation in popularity of South Korean cuisine. Indeed, with Asian foods gaining increasing popularity in the UK market, recent research from Insights Lab by egg Soldiers has revealed that new-wave Asian street food is one of the key trends continuing to shape foodie culture across the country.

The Grocer, too, has picked up on the trend, with an article towards the end of last year highlighting research company Mintel’s prediction that tteokbokki (sweet and spicy Korean rice cakes) are set to go mainstream this year.

Riding the cultural wave

With awareness of Korean food growing, Hyokyo Suh, head of CJ Foods Europe, agrees that the global popularity of Korean cuisine is fuelled by cultural influences such as K-films like Parasite, which introduced dishes like Jjapaguri (Korean instant ramen) to global audiences.

“In its own research, C J Foods questioned UK consumers about their favourite Korean foods, with Korean chicken taking first place, followed by kimchi, tteokbokki and ramen,” he reveals. “There is an evident correlation here: spicy, convenient, classic K-street food. European consumers have a lot of interest in Korean food, but there is not the right amount of accessibility and awareness. And it’s our job to spread that awareness.”

C J Foods Europe, which established a subsidiary in the UK in May 2022 with its bibigo brand, followed by a delivery service, bibigo to go, in November 2023, is clearly keen to ride the K-food wave and promote the growing popularity of K-food. The brand is available in Asda and Ocado (450+ stores combined) and bibigo to go is available on Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eats and is operated in partnership with Peckwater Brands, a UK delivery franchise and virtual brand company.

According to Mintel, 23% of UK consumers ate Korean food at home in the three months to March 2023, reveals Suh, and, in particular, the company’s own research discovered that Korean cuisine is gaining popularity with a younger demographic, who prioritise convenience and home meal replacements .

“Responding to these evolving consumer trends, bibigo is offering European consumers a genuine taste of Korea, extending its K-street food product portfolio to include tteokbokki, chicken skewers, rice balls and Korean corn dogs, which will soon join best-selling products such as Mandu (Korean-style dumpling), chicken, seaweed snacks, kimchi, and Korean sauces on store shelves in the third quarter of 2024,” says Suh. “With our wide selection, we aim to fulfill consumers’ desires for genuine Korean tastes across Europe and beyond. By bringing the rich and diverse flavors of Korea to the UK, we hope to introduce more people to the culinary traditions that make our cuisine so unique.”

To achieve this, the company has devised a new logo symbolising a Korean dining table (bapsang) to emphasise the connection people share while enjoying delicious food, says Suh.

The company also plans to implement a series of marketing initiatives such as in-store tastings and promotions.

Bibigo is also making efforts to link with sport by becoming the official sponsor of Korea House during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, alongside the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSCO), at Maison de la Chimie near the National Assembly. Here, visitors will be able to enjoy the full Korean cultural experience, including K-pop performances, music, branded goods, and K-food products.

“Our Korea House experience and renewed brand identity spans retails and consumer markets alike; we hope to leverage this initiative to engage with major retailers in Europe as we aim to increase sales of our European food business,” concludes Suh. “With the right marketing tactics and strategies, bibigo’s K-street portfolio is going to be making headway into major retailers and households.”

To find out more about bibigo, please visit https://bibigo.co.uk/