Our team has returned from an insanely cold but productive research trip to Seoul and Busan, bringing back valuable observations on Korea’s table olive market.
Although still a niche category, table olives are widely available in take-away salad shops, department-store grocery sections and convenience stores. We also noted their growing presence in cafés and bakery shops, where black pitted olives appear in breads and pastries. In restaurants, usage remains largely limited to Spanish or Western appetisers and pizza toppings. We also explored ideas for potential localisation, including ways olives could complement Korean flavours.
Focus group discussions added depth to the research. Korean consumers tend to perceive olives through aesthetic cues rather than detailed product knowledge, and they show a preference for product concepts of clean, healthy and fresh. This mindset aligns with Korea’s atmosphere-driven food culture. As a result, olives resonate most when positioned as light, flavourful and stylish moments of enjoyment, ideally shared in small social settings such as cafés, wine bars or intimate gatherings.
Special thanks to Daniel Pedraza and Victor Morales Mora for their effort in meeting industry partners and carrying out thorough on-site research. This Korean trip has expanded our understanding of the market, and we look forward to sharing further insights ahead.
