Peter Jones and Sainsbury's bite at the chance to bring Korean cuisine to the nation
Dragons’ Den hit, Yogiyo, is launching in Sainsbury’s this October
The trend for Korean cuisine is set to hit the big time after Sainsbury’s confirmed a deal to launch Yogiyo, the UK’s first range of authentic Korean sauces, and the latest food brand to catch the eye of Peter Jones in the Dragons’ Den.
As aired on an August episode of the BBC show, Peter Jones, jumped at the chance to invest in Yogiyo after Company Founders, Ben Ansah and Sue Youn, wowed him with their cooking and dipping sauces, which celebrate the boldest and most popular flavours in Korean cooking. After a bidding war in the Den, he secured a 33% share of the business for a £50,000 investment.
In a move that echoes the Dragons’ Den biggest success story to date, Levi Roots and his Reggae Reggae Sauce, the brand not only gained investment from the shows’ most long-standing panellist, but Sainsbury’s will launch the Yogiyo range in over 450 stores from October 2015.
“It’s been a whirlwind experience taking our recipes, all inspired by Sue Youn’s mum’s home-cooking, from our street food stall to the Den and now, soon to the nation. The interest in Korean food has started to gain pace globally and our sauces offer people an easy way to bring the biggest flavours of Korea to their own kitchens. Peter Jones was the natural partner for us and the experience he has brought to the brand since the show has been invaluable. We can’t wait for the range to hit Sainsbury’s shelves this October.”
“What appealed to me most with Yogiyo was how Ben and Sue have taken their genuine passion and talent for the food from their heritage and turned it into a credible and marketable brand that has come along exactly at the right time for the UK. I truly believe this is a product to keep your eye on.”
The three-strong range includes a cooking and dipping sauce based on Gochu Jang, a fermented chilli paste unique to South Korea and one of the cornerstone ingredients of the country’s cuisine and Galbi, a classic meat marinade, whose sweet, umami flavour is one of the best known and most loved in Korean cuisine.
“We’re excited to be working with Yogiyo to bring a new range of authentic Korean sauces to our customers. We recognise that Korean cuisine is becoming increasingly popular, and so with expertly made and quality products, we’re confident the range and flavours will be a great success with our shoppers.”
Find out more here!
