About Us

Ché Gourmet began with a jar of kimchi and a fire for discovery.

The story starts on the road, not in a kitchen. Our founder, a South African flavour hunter and fermentation nerd, spent years travelling: the street markets of Vietnam, the hidden eateries of South Korea, and the communities of South America. Time living in Korea taught the craft of kimchi, and everywhere else the lesson was the same. The best food comes from home cooks, street vendors, grandmothers and food rebels, and it is about culture and connection as much as nourishment.

Born Abroad. Built in South Africa.

Ché Gourmet was born when that journey came home to South Africa, with a head full of recipes and a plan to make something meaningful. It began with authentic Korean kimchi, handcrafted with the techniques learned in Korea: bold, unpasteurised and alive, just like the street food that inspired it.

That single jar grew into the business you see today. We are the Ché Gourmet Team, and we are continuing to bring that dream alive. We make a growing range of fermented vegetables, condiments and gut-friendly foods, and we curate one of the most diverse collections of Asian pantry goods, frozen dumplings and hard-to-find street food ingredients in the country, so home cooks and food lovers can bring bold, nourishing flavour to every plate.

Our Mission: Gut Health. Global Flavour. Local Impact.

We want to bridge cultures through flavour and make good gut-friendly food easy to enjoy. We believe in real, whole food, in the wisdom of age-old fermentation, and in the joy of a perfectly folded dumpling. That is why we manufacture locally, support small farms and producers, and share what we know through cooking classes, workshops and content.

Whether you are here to look after your gut, explore new cuisines, or just fall back in love with food, you are in the right place.

Welcome to the Ché Gourmet family. Every jar tells a story. Every bite takes you somewhere new. And every product is made with purpose.