South Korea-based food group CJ CheilJedang has announced a manufacturing contract to serve the Australian market.
The tie-up with an unnamed local manufacturer will help CJ CheilJedang supply Woolworths, Australia’s largest food retailer.
Local subsidiary CJ Foods Oceania has secured a deal to sell its dumpling brand Bibigo through nearly 1,000 stores.
The company is investing A$10m ($6.9m) in a project to expand its partner’s facility, which, it said, will be able produce 3,500 tonnes of dumplings per year.
CJ Foods Oceania is installing a new production line for its dumplings at the factory. The company declined to reveal the location of the site/
“We have established our own separate space within the existing factory,” a spokesperson for CJ Foods Oceania said.
The products will go on sale in the country later in 2023.
The company markets soups, kimchi and bulgogi under the Bibigo brand but it “only has firm investment plans” for dumplings at the moment, CJ Foods Oceania MD Eugene Cha told Just Food.
The range of dumplings has an RRP of A$8.50 ($4.80).
CJ Foods Oceania said the investment is a response to a growing demand for Korean cuisine and culture in Australia.
“Over recent years we have seen ‘K-culture’ on the rise in Australia, notably with growing interest in Korean BBQ, K-Pop and K-Cinema. With the desire to experience Korean cuisine at an all-time high, our goal is to spread the joy and flavour of our food culture with Australians,” Cha said.
