Dragons’ Den investor pumps £50k into sauce firm
Co-founder of the firm Ben Ansah said: “Entering the Den was nerve wracking, but also fun and exciting. And to win investment from Peter Jones, who is of course famous for helping turn Levi Roots’s Reggae Reggae Sauce into a nationwide phenomenon, was a dream come true.”
After winning the investment on the BBC 2 show last night (August 16) Yogiyo planned to buy new ingredients from Korea and work with identity and innovation consultancy Ziggurat Brands to create a new look for the range and website.
Appear in Sainsbury
The Korean food company’s range of products – which included Gochu Jang Chilli Sauce for cooking, Gochu Jang Chilli Sauce for dipping and Galbi Fruit Soy Sauce for marinating – will appear in Sainsbury from October.
Husband and wife team Ben Ansah and Sue Youn X met and married in Korea, where her parents ran a restaurant on the country’s east coast. The couple returned to the UK determined to bring the taste of Korean street food to the UK market.
The couple began selling Korean food at London street markets before specialising in sauces and won a listing with Selfridges.
“That was the point we knew we had hit on something special,” said Ansah. “But we knew that to take it any further we would need some help. Specifically we needed endorsement, expertise and investment, and so we applied to Dragons’ Den.”
‘Something special’
“That was the point we knew we had hit on something special. Specifically we needed endorsement, expertise and investment, and so we applied to Dragons’ Den.”
- Ben Ansah
For help rebranding the business, the team enlisted consultancy business Ziggurat Brands, which has worked with entrepreneurial food brands such as: Bottlegreen, Higgidy Pies and Mello.
‘Identifiably Korean’
“We needed an agency that could make our products stand out in a crowded world foods segment,” said Ansah. “Crucially, messages on the products needed to be easy to understand, offering a familiar name and clear usage instructions whilst still using the Korean name and being identifiably Korean.”
The solution from Ziggurat used toned-down colours, inspired by Korean silk, to reflect the premium brand, while retaining the original branding and Korean folk art designed family friend and designer Leon Geernaert, who created Yogiyo’s initial look.
Ziggurat Brands director Alison Taylor said: “We have introduced a soft and friendly colour palette which will resonate with the audience. At the same time, the new packaging explains how consumers can use the product, and draws attention to its function as a marinade or sauce for example.”
Meanwhile, Condé Nast Traveller identified Korean cuisine to be the leading food trend of 2015.
