“Just the beginning”: The Kimchi Company eyes global expansion after Coles, Woolies rollout

Born from a passion to bring authentic kimchi made in Korea directly to the dinner tables of Australian households, The Kimchi Company is now eyeing further global expansion following the brand’s success in a combined 1,315 stockists across Australia.

The Kimchi Company was founded in 2019 by Australian-Korean couple, Edward Um and Sooji Lim, who started the business with a clear problem to solve: where do you buy kimchi and which one do you recommend?

A staple in Korean cuisine, kimchi is a fermented vegetable dish, often made with Napa cabbage and seasoned with a mix of garlic, ginger, anchovy paste, shrimp paste, and gochugaru, a Korean chili powder, or chili flakes.

In recent months, The Kimchi Company has secured a significant partnership with Coles, which has seen its range roll out in 500 Coles supermarkets, including Coles Local outlets, across the country. 

Its range of products is also available in 470 Woolworths nationwide, including Woolworths Metro supermarkets.

The Kimchi Company is continuing to expand in Australia, targeting independent stores like IGAs, as well as the hospitality sector. Currently, its range is available in 345 independent stores including Foodland, Ritchies IGA, and Harris Farm outlets. 

As well as collaborations with chefs for pop-up stores using its kimchi, some cafes in Sydney also use the company’s kimchi to make burritos and poke bowls.

“A huge gap in the market”

Um says the founders first developed the idea for the business after friends and colleagues kept asking both founders: “Where can I buy kimchi and which one do you recommend?”

“There wasn’t a clear answer for this question,” he tells SmartCompany. 

“Our best answer was, ‘go to an Asian supermarket near you … and find a tub that looks like red cabbage, it should say Kimchi on it.

“We noticed a huge gap in the market, especially for those who don’t live near Asian supermarkets and are unfamiliar with kimchi, but have heard of its health benefits and great taste.

“We grew up with kimchi and with the increasing popularity of Korean food and culture, this was an opportunity too good to miss. 

“So, we set out to fix just this — accessibility to delicious, Korean-made kimchi, and a brand that Australians can identify and trust.”

International horizons

The Kimchi Company has recently expanded overseas into 20 Dubai (UAE) Spinneys and Waitrose supermarkets and the founders say the next stop on their journey is New Zealand. After that, The Kimchi Company founders will be eyeing Southeast Asia for opportunities.

Um says they grew The Kimchi Company with patience and perseverance.

“We strapped ourselves tight and invested all our spare money and time to keep our prices down for our customer’s affordability — especially when everything was increasing for us,” he says. 

“We also focused on quality, which has been the most important part of our business. 

“We believe that thanks to this strategy, our customers still bought our kimchi and our sales were healthy for the most part. 

“Our returning customers are the reason we are still here and we’re so grateful — it became the main reason we continue to bring kimchi to Australia.”

Lim says this is just the beginning for The Kimchi Company.

“We want to expand our product range and continue to bring high quality, authentic Korean food to Australia and beyond,” she says. 

“I’m proud of our product, the brand, and everything we have built. 

“Our aim was to not only bring authentic Korean kimchi to Australia that’s delicious but educate and promote our Korean food and culture, sharing all the endless ways to cook and eat kimchi.”