Bringing a taste of modern Korea to Dublin

Our Story

"Why is Korean food still unknown to so many in Europe?"

"Why can't we make proper Korean food here in Ireland,
where there are
tons of fantastic
food resources?"

JARU started as a college project in DIT Cathal Brugha Street with simple questions - why is Korean food still unknown to many in Europe? Why can't we make proper Korean food here in Ireland, where there are tons of fantastic food resources?

After participating in national enterprise programmes such as Enterprise Ireland's New Frontiers and SuperValu's Food Academy and winning Enterprise Awards, the concept developed into a fully-fledged company.

We began trading at lunchtime food markets in August 2016 serving "Korean BBQ + Rice Bowl" - something we still do now throughout Dublin. Here, we could develop and test our recipes, and allowed us to launch our retail products. We are now proud to say we are the leading suppliers of Irish-made and stock stores nationwide.

We do not focus on 'traditional' Korean food; our concept is based on the new tastes of modern Korea, all while using and developing healthier cooking techniques and seasonal, local resources. Based on this philosophy, we are busy working on developing new products: ready meals, sauces, marinades, preserves and more. The company also plans to open an eatery/work-shop space in Dublin in 2022 to allow us to develop a closer relationship with the Jaru community.

Our Story

Korean food, Born in Dublin

JARU is a small food production based in Nutgrove, South Dublin. We produce Korean foods using Irish ingredients and traditional Korean family recipes. The company started as a college project in DIT Cathal Brugha Street with simple questions - why is Korean food still unknown to many in Europe? Why can't we make proper Korean food here in Ireland, where there are tons of fantastic food resources?

After participating in national enterprise programmes such as Enterprise Ireland's New Frontiers and SuperValu's Food Academy and winning Enterprise Awards, the concept developed into a real company. The company began trading at lunchtime food markets in August 2016 delivering "Korean BBQ + Rice Bowl". The company continues to trade in 7 weekly markets throughout Dublin feeding around 1000 customers weekly. Using the developed & tested products from the markets, JARU started its retail food business back in 2018, supplying Kimchi, Fermented Sauces, Pre-packed foods to multiple retailers, restaurants, and cafes.

We do not focus on 'traditional' Korean food; our concept is based on the new tastes of modern Korea, all while using and developing healthier cooking techniques and seasonal, local resources. Based on this philosophy, we are busy working on developing new products: ready meals, sauces, marinades, preserves and more. The company also plans to open an eatery/work-shop space in Dublin in 2022 to allow us to develop a closer relationship with the Jaru community.

Gunmoo Kim

Gunmoo is from Daejeon, South Korea, where his family runs a small artisan food company. A desire for new experiences drove him to Ireland back in 2010, after finishing two years of military service. He had no money, no English, then started to work in a restaurant as a server, kitchen porter, cook, barman to pay his English school fees - and soon, he realised what he is really passionate about.

In 2012, he went back to college (DIT - Culinary Entrepreneurship) to learn more about the food industry. He also worked in various environments included a Michelin-starred Korean restaurant in New York followed by a French brasserie in Dublin to gain more experience. After seven years of studying and gaining experience, Gunmoo finally started up the company 'JARU' in 2016. The company started with a grant of €3,000 which he earned from the Student Enterprise Awards, with a small gazebo at food markets.