ABOUT HEAD CHEF, JIHYUN KIM
Hello everyone
I wanted to take time to appreciate and show our gratitude to our customers and supporters over the years and tell you a little about myself and my history.
My name is Jihyun Kim. Friends and work colleagues call me Kimmy. I hold Korean certifications in Korean and Japanese cuisine and studied Cordon Bleu at Tante Marie Culinary Academy in 2006. During my study, I met my husband who I married in 2008 and have been settled in South East London since then. We have two delightful children.
I was born in Seoul, South Korea where I grew up surrounded with all kinds of fermented food. Kimchi, fermented chili paste, fermented soybean and so on. Some form of kimchi/fermented vegetables was almost always used in every meal as I grew up. The vast majority of Koreans still eat kimchi everyday. For example, Kimchi fried rice, Kimchi stew, side dishes of different kimchis all on the same table. When foriegners look at our meals, they might think Korean people are crazy about kimchi - it's such a big part of our culture.
Before I started Kimchi and Radish, I provided bespoke catering to small and medium sized events, and worked as a personal chef to select clients. I also provided Korean and French cooking classes, on a one-to-one basis and to groups.
During my Korean cookery classes, I noticed my student's interest in fermentation and the health benefits of kimchi. I was surprised at first, and thought Westerners would think the kimchi smell offputting, but people were into the flavour and interested in the concept of gut health - this was my first recognition of the (then) new Western trend in fermentation, something I grew up with and thought was normal. This continued to grow as time went by, with more and more portions of the class being devoted to kimchi making.
Having always been disappointed with the availability and quality of Kimchi in the UK, I was making my own Kimchi and giving to Korean friends and contacts on request. I founded Kimchi & Radish in January 2018, just as my second child turned 3 and I had more time, with my stated goal "to introduce great tasting fresh kimchi to customers instead of bland factory packed kimchi and fermented chili sauce."
I started to make kimchi from my home kitchen, selling only once a week at a local farmers market at Horniman Museum on saturdays. At that time, I didn't really think it would sell well. I was just so happy that I was doing something that I always had in my mind to try - sellng my own products related to Korean cuisine, which I had never done before.
We only had one kimchi, the traditional style with fish sauce, and homemade Korean fermented chili paste known as gochujang. But from that first day with just 20 jars, a small table and garden gazebo, we almost sold out.
Our first feedback came from customers asking if there was a vegan-friendly option - we then made a variation without fish sauce. Then a more spicy version, a non-spicy version, and so on. Today our range now has seven Kimchi variations; Traditional, Extra Hot (more spicy version of Traditional), Origninal (the vegan variation of Traditional), Daikon (vegan), Rainbow (non-spicy vegan), Beetroot (non-spicy vegan) and seasonal Wild Garlic (vegan). Wild Garlic kimchi is available only late March to mid June and is one of our signature kimchis.
The journey has thrown up some challenges, sometimes hasn't been fun, but it has been and still is incredibly rewarding. We have met amazing amazing followers, traders and customers who became friends later on. Kinds words and constructive criticisms keep us going, striving to be better and help us grow.
Thank You for all your support. We are very very grateful!!!
Founder of Kimchi&Radish
