Carefully Selected Ingredients... Offering Unique and Diverse Food Options
[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Shin Dong-ho] The Food Market on the basement first floor of the main building of Gwangju Shinsegae Co., Ltd. will be reborn as a premium food market full of new tastes and styles on the 5th.
Gwangju Shinsegae (CEO Lee Dong-hoon) announced on the 4th that it has renewed the Food Market by investing about 5 billion KRW in total construction costs for the first time in seven years. This is the biggest core investment project of the year.
They plan to sell carefully selected premium ingredients and introduce new services such as prime service, which was not offered before, the introduction of high-quality marinated beef from Shinsegae’s direct auction Korean beef, and a new local fruit corner with dawn direct delivery to always present only fresh fruits.
In the meat corner, a new experiential element called the ‘Fresh Meat Aging Room’ will be introduced. The days for slaughtering cattle will be designated for sales.
The marinated meat specialty ‘Meat Deli’ corner will operate by selling competitively priced marinated meat products using high-quality raw materials from Shinsegae’s direct auction Korean beef.
Also, the eco-friendly local Korean beef brand ‘Green Hanwoo,’ which has won the Presidential Award three times at the Livestock Brand Competition, ‘Meat One,’ which sells various marinated meats including instant meal kits, and charcuterie products made from Jirisan Black Pork ‘Berkshire K’ raised at an altitude of 500m in the clean Jirisan foothills of Namwon, Jeonbuk Province, will be sold.
In the agricultural products corner, a ‘Fresh Dawn Direct Delivery Local Fruit Corner’ will be operated featuring Blue Valley from Hwasun, Campbell grapes from Namwon, figs from Yeongam, and more.
Also, considering the increase in single-person households and the popularity among people in their 20s and 30s for easily consumable desserts at home, a new ‘Cut Fruit Corner’ will be operated. Fifteen special vegetables, including purple carrots that can only be found at Shinsegae, will be offered as new attractions.
A smart farm brand will also be introduced. The smart farm is the largest domestic smart farm crop cultivator, operating more than 40 varieties including leafy vegetables, spices, and special vegetables.
In the seafood corner, the ‘Fish Deli’ corner, which grills the freshest and finest raw materials on-site, will be operated for the first time in the Gwangju area.
The Fish Deli corner will sell grilled fish made most conveniently from freshly auctioned seafood by the 33rd broker in Mokpo at dawn, including mackerel, flounder, hairtail, jack mackerel, and seasonal large fish.
New brands entering the seafood corner include ‘Kimssi Maguro,’ which uses only fresh northern bluefin tuna caught north of the equator that has never been frozen; ‘Yeongsan Hong-eo,’ which leads the popularization of fermented skate, a specialty of the Honam region, produced and supplied hygienically based on 20 years of know-how; and ‘Miseong Dried Fish’ from Beopseongpo, which holds a patent for manufacturing dried fish and dried yellow corvina using lotus leaves and halophytes with 20 years of expertise.
In the cooking corner, ‘Fermentation Storage’ will be introduced, discovering traditional fermented and specialty foods made with inherited skills and artisan secrets to present the elegant taste of Korea.
Collaborating with the Shinsegae Korean Food Research Institute and capable breweries, the newly launched fermented drinks unique to Fermentation Storage, including raw takju, sparkling Makgeolli, and sparkling Yakju, can be experienced for the first time in Gwangju.
The grocery corner is composed as an iconic space for differentiated genres such as imported specialty zones, cheese & butter, and frozen ready meals (RMR).
In particular, considering the high purchase preference for imported foods not found in large marts, the variety of products in oils & vinegars, sauces & spices, snacks & cereals, and pasta & sauces has been expanded by more than 20% compared to existing quantities.
Specialized brands entering for the first time in the region include vegan products ‘Primal Elements,’ ‘Q Garden,’ and dental products such as ‘Oil Pulling Toothpaste,’ among various new brands.
Additionally, a selection of premium ingredients with excellent flavor and quality from around the world, including cheese, butter, caviar, foie gras, and truffles, will be presented.
Furthermore, for the first time in the region, the 600-year-old French Ch?teau des Touboulon olive oil and the Italian truffle specialty brand Savini Tartufi, which has continued for 100 years, will be newly introduced.
To commemorate the renewed opening of the Food Market, various events are prepared from the 5th to the 31st.
First, an open-run event will sell local products and new items such as Wando abalone, hairtail, directly shipped anchovies, and Muan pumpkin sweet potatoes at 20-60% discounted prices weekly, offering prices never seen before.
Also, promotional events for new corners will be held. At the Meat Deli corner, four products?sirloin steak, tenderloin steak, striploin steak, and chop steak?collaborated with the famous French culinary school Le Cordon Bleu meal kits will be sold at a 20% discount.
At Fish Deli, fresh seasonal raw materials grilled fish will be planned and sold at uniform prices of 10,000, 20,000, and 30,000 KRW per item.
A themed pop-up event will be held from the 5th to September 8th, introducing famous vitamin and traditional health brands for the first time in the Gwangju area. Participating brands include Solgar, a kosher-certified famous American vitamin brand, offering 40-50% discounts.
Local brands from Gwangju famous for operating three types of aged honey, Im Hyung-moon Honey, and Wild Lab, the only domestic 100% goat milk protein health food brand, will participate.
From the 12th to the 21st, ‘Vang de Shinsegae’ will be held. In line with the summer season, wines suitable for health food, sparkling and white wines that are good to drink cool, will be offered at special prices.
Moreover, Bordeaux Grand Cru and world premium wines will be abundantly prepared, and uniform prices of 10,000, 20,000, and 50,000 KRW, as well as bundle specials for 2, 4, and 6 bottles, will be planned and sold.
Choi Taek-yeol, head of the food team at Gwangju Shinsegae, said, “With this Food Market renewal, we will continuously provide unique and diverse foods that can only be found at Gwangju Shinsegae,” adding, “Through this, we want to propose a new and enjoyable food culture to the local residents.”
Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Shin Dong-ho yjm3070@asiae.co.kr
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