Best Kimchi in the UK — All 20 Brands Compared (2026)
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What Are the Best Kimchi Brands in the UK?
Best Kimchi in the UK — Quick Picks by Need
Short on time? Here is the one-line answer for each common need. Every pick links to its full card further down.
| Best for | Our pick | Why | Price | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall (supermarket) | Vadasz Raw Kimchi | Vegan, unpasteurised, live-cultured; widest supermarket availability | ~£4.50-4.75 / 400g | Waitrose, Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, M&S |
| Best certified organic | Biona Organic Kimchi | Certified organic, vegan, full ingredient transparency | ~£5.20 (Tesco) | Tesco, Waitrose, health stores, Amazon |
| Best shelf-stable & halal | Bibigo (UK ambient pouch) | V-Label vegan and Halal certified; no fridge needed until opened | ~£1.75-3 / 150g | Sainsbury’s, Ocado |
| Best vegan & gluten-free | Yutaka Korean Kimchi | Ingredients confirmed: no fish sauce, marketed vegan and gluten-free | ~£3.45-3.50 / 200g | Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons |
| Best budget | Sun Hee Kimchi | Lowest price per jar among the full-size supermarket options | ~£2.00-2.20 / 190g | Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons |
| Best raw & unpasteurised (online) | mr. kimchi | Biggest independent by volume: 500,000+ units sold, SALSA-accredited; vegan and traditional lines | Check online | mrkimchi.co.uk, Amazon UK |
| Best award-winning vegan (online) | Eaten Alive | Vegan, never pasteurised, award-winning | Check online | eatenalive.co.uk, Amazon UK |
| Best classic fish-sauce recipe | The North Shop | Traditional recipe with fish sauce, raw, 7-day ferment | Check online | thenorthshop.co.uk, London Cheesemongers |
| Most flavours to choose from | Kimchi & Radish | Seven varieties, traditional and vegan; strongest editorial credentials | Check online | kimchiradish.com, Natoora, Provenance Village Butcher |
| Best own-label (M&S shoppers) | M&S Naturally Fermented | Genuine M&S own-label, Classic and Golden variants | Check in-store | M&S stores |
How we chose: picks are based on verified retailer and brand-site listings, published ingredient lists and certifications, and cited shopper reviews. They are not the result of a blind taste test yet — a full UK taste test is planned. Prices checked against listings at the time of the last update; always confirm on the retailer’s page.
A Note on Scope & Methodology
This guide is deliberately UK-only, and deliberately covers every type of “genuinely available in the UK” — supermarket own-labels, Korean-food specialists sold at Tesco/Asda/Sainsbury’s/Waitrose/Morrisons, and independent makers who ship direct from London, Cambridge and Manchester. Each brand card and both tables below carry a clear availability-type tag so you always know whether a brand is something you can pick up on your next supermarket run or something you’d need to order online. We have a separate USA brand ranking covering brands like Jongga, Cosmos, and Trader Joe’s, none of which are sold through mainstream UK retail — so a US-only jar isn’t included here. For a pure retailer-by-retailer breakdown instead of a brand-by-brand one, see our Where to Buy Kimchi in the UK guide.
Retailer & Brand-Site Verification
Ingredient & Allergen Check
Certification & Marketplace Verification
Shopper Sentiment, Cited
Planned: A Real UK Blind Taste Test
The Best Kimchi Brands in the UK — All 20, Compared
Supermarket and independent brands are mixed together below, ordered by a combination of availability and ingredient transparency — but every card tells you exactly how to get hold of it.
Officially sold as “Vadasz Raw Kimchi” — confirmed unpasteurised and live-cultured on its own retailer listings at Waitrose, Tesco and Ocado. Founded by Nick Vadasz in 2011, sold from London market stalls before arriving at Waitrose in 2019 (the same year The Compleat Food Group acquired it), and has since expanded into Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and M&S’s deli fixture. Also makes a Super Beet Kimchi variant with the same unpasteurised, vegan formulation.
Our take: The most established, most talked-about UK-made kimchi brand, with the widest mainstream-supermarket availability of any brand on this list.
A genuinely different product from the refrigerated US Bibigo jar. The UK ambient (shelf-stable) sliced kimchi pouch carries full V-Label Vegan certification and Halal certification (Islamic Food and Nutrition Council), made with a soy peptone starter culture rather than fish sauce.
Our take: The easiest brand to find on a regular UK supermarket shop, and a different, vegan-by-default formulation from the US version.
M&S Food’s own kimchi range comes in two confirmed SKUs on marksandspencer.com: Naturally Fermented Classic Kimchi and Naturally Fermented Golden Kimchi. This is a distinct own-label line — separate from the independent Vadasz range M&S’s deli fixture has also stocked. Full ingredient and allergen breakdown in our dedicated review.
Our take: Worth knowing about specifically because it’s genuinely M&S’s own product, not a stocked third-party brand — a real find for regular M&S shoppers.
📝 Amazon: M&S groceries aren’t sold via Amazon — M&S stores or marksandspencer.com only.
Baxters — the long-established Scottish soups, pickles and preserves company — has moved into kimchi with two variants: Crunchy & Chilli Pepper, and Ginger Turmeric. Both sold at Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Tesco for around £3.50. The Crunchy & Chilli Pepper variant’s ingredient panel confirms fish sauce and wheat flour, so it is not vegan; we haven’t independently confirmed the Ginger Turmeric variant’s ingredients.
Our take: The most recognisable non-Korean brand name on this list — a low-risk way for a first-time buyer to try kimchi.
📝 Confirmed ingredients: the Amazon UK listing’s own ingredient panel confirms this variant contains fish sauce (anchovy) and wheat flour — not vegan, not gluten-free.
Made with fresh Chinese leaf cabbage, carrot, and mooli radish, explicitly marketed as naturally fermented and unpasteurised. Sold in recyclable glass jars. Note: don’t confuse with the unrelated “Cultured Food Company,” a different kimchi/sauerkraut brand also sold on Amazon UK — we didn’t find a genuine The Cultured Collective listing there.
Our take: One of the clearest “live cultures” claims of any supermarket-stocked UK brand.
Made with napa cabbage, white cabbage, carrots, radish, onion, tomatoes, sea salt, ginger, bell pepper, chilli and garlic — all certified organic. Widely available at Tesco as well as independent health-food retailers, and also listed on Amazon and eBay for anyone without a local stockist.
Our take: The clearest certified-organic option, with real ingredient transparency.
Yutaka is a well-known UK Asian-grocery brand whose Korean Kimchi is stocked across Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons at around £3.45-3.50 — a dependable pick where several other brands on this list aren’t stocked.
Our take: A solid, easy-to-find, genuinely vegan and gluten-free pick specifically for Asda and Morrisons shoppers.
📝 Confirmed ingredients: cabbage, water, radish, garlic, onion, chilli powder, salt, carrot, ginger — no fish sauce; marketed vegan and gluten-free on the Amazon listing.
Made by Surya Foods, fermented cabbage infused with radish, garlic, onion, and ginger — a more traditional aromatic base than some competitors here.
Our take: A traditional-leaning flavour profile in a small, easy-to-try format, with three-supermarket coverage.
Uses soy sauce and wheat flour rather than fish sauce and rice paste. Vegan-friendly on ingredients but contains gluten, produced in a facility that also handles fish and mustard. Use within 1 week once opened.
Our take: Budget-friendly with a genuinely different flavour profile — less so if traditional authenticity matters most to you.
📝 Also on Amazon: a Turmeric Kimchi variant (miso and rice flour instead of soy sauce and wheat flour) is also confirmed on Amazon UK.
Kelly Loves is a UK Asian-food brand better known for sushi-adjacent snacking products; its Korean Kimchi comes in a notably small 80g format.
Our take: The lowest-commitment way to try kimchi on this entire list, thanks to its small pack size.
An independent UK fermented-foods brand with a notably strong volume of positive shopper reviews. Distribution skews independent/online rather than big supermarket chains.
Our take: One of the best-reviewed independent brands we found in UK shopper feedback.
📝 Amazon & affiliate check: no Amazon.co.uk listing or public affiliate programme found this pass — realistic path is contacting the brand directly.
Marketed explicitly as unpasteurised and vegan, with a genuinely strong run of shopper reviews — some describing it as “the genuine article” and comparing it favourably to kimchi they’ve had in Korea.
Our take: Alongside The Cultured Collective, one of the two clearest “genuinely unpasteurised and vegan” supermarket-adjacent claims on this list.
📝 Amazon & affiliate check: no Amazon.co.uk listing or public affiliate programme found this pass — realistic path is contacting the brand directly.
A smaller-format Korean pickled-cabbage kimchi currently confirmed at Asda for around £2.10.
Our take: Worth knowing about specifically if Asda is your main supermarket.
📝 On Amazon too: confirmed there as a “Fire Kimchi” variant sold in bulk (12-packs) — priced for volume buyers rather than a single-jar try, so Asda is the cheaper way to test it first.
Handmade in small batches in Hackney Wick by chef Ollie Rowe, fermented for over a month before packaging. Vegan — uses traditional fermented soy sauce and a dark red miso in place of fish sauce for savoury depth. Named “Best Kimchi UK” by The Guardian. Ships UK-wide direct from ollieskimchi.co.uk, and stocked in a small number of London delis.
Our take: One of the most editorially-recognised independent UK makers, with a genuinely long fermentation time.
📝 Amazon & affiliate check: no Amazon.co.uk listing or public affiliate programme found — a self-run online shop only, so a direct partnership enquiry is the realistic route.
Handmade in small batches in Clapton, fermented for 7 days for a fresher, less “funky” result than many kimchis. Ingredients: Chinese cabbage, daikon, spring onion, carrot, gochugaru, ginger, garlic, sea salt, fish sauce, soft brown sugar — genuinely traditional, but not vegan. Sold direct and via London Cheesemongers.
Our take: A good pick specifically for shoppers who want a classic fish-sauce recipe rather than a vegan UK take.
📝 Amazon & affiliate check: no Amazon.co.uk listing or public affiliate programme found — direct outreach to the brand is the realistic route.
Made by two chefs obsessed with raw fermented foods; never pasteurised, so it stays “bursting with gut-boosting bacteria” per the brand’s own listing. Also makes a kimchi-brined fermented hot sauce. Sold direct via eatenalive.co.uk and confirmed on Amazon.co.uk with at least three live listings (Classic 375g, a Mixed 3-jar pack, and a White Cabbage 3-jar pack), all sold and shipped directly by “Eaten Alive Kimchi and Hot Sauce.”
Our take: A genuinely award-winning, vegan, unpasteurised option that’s easy to order even without a London address, thanks to its Amazon listing.
📝 Affiliate note: no public affiliate programme found beyond Amazon — only third-party coupon-aggregator sites reference it, which isn’t a joinable affiliate scheme.
Hand-made in Cambridge by chef and baker Peichin, who runs several small food businesses locally. Made to a traditional Korean recipe; sold in both a Vegan version and a Traditional (fish sauce) version. Stocked at Cambridge-area delis including Cambridge Cheese Company, and direct via peichinstable.co.uk.
Our take: One of the few UK independents offering a genuine choice between vegan and traditional recipes side by side.
📝 Amazon & affiliate check: no Amazon.co.uk listing or public affiliate programme found — a small, local operation, so direct outreach is the realistic route.
Manchester-based, founded in 2006, naturally fermented using unprocessed Celtic Sea Salt. Multiple flavours including Classic, Hot ‘N’ Smoky, and Turmeric & Black Pepper. Strong Amazon.co.uk presence, confirmed with multiple live listings — a single 475g jar, plus mixed sauerkraut-and-kimchi multipacks — alongside its own site.
Our take: The most established independent brand on this list by founding date, with the widest flavour range of any UK maker here.
📝 Affiliate note: Loving Foods runs its own direct affiliate programme — 10% commission, sign up by contacting the brand directly (not on Awin/CJ/ShareASale). Worth applying separately from the Amazon link.
Founded in Tooting in 2013, mr. kimchi has grown into the biggest independent UK kimchi maker by volume we found — over 500,000 units sold and 1,140+ mostly five-star Trustpilot reviews. Sells both a Traditional (fish sauce) and a Vegan (330g, no fish sauce) line, made fresh to order. SALSA food-safety accredited. Also runs two Korean restaurants, in New Malden and Wimbledon. Sold direct via mrkimchi.co.uk, and confirmed with a live, direct “Sold by MR.KIMCHI” listing on Amazon.co.uk — a 4×330g multipack and a 2kg bulk bag are both currently available (the 2kg bag works out cheaper per kg for regular eaters, but check the current price before buying).
Our take: If you want an independent UK maker with a genuine track record rather than a newcomer, this is the one with the numbers to back it up — and now the easiest of the London independents to order without leaving Amazon.
📝 Affiliate note: no separate public affiliate programme found beyond Amazon this pass — worth a direct email to ask, given the brand’s scale.
Founded in January 2018 by Jihyun “Kimmy” Kim, a Seoul-born, Cordon-Bleu-trained chef. Kim has been featured in the Financial Times, Monocle Radio and Times Radio, and is the author of the cookbook KIMCHI (Hodder & Stoughton). Seven varieties: Traditional (with fish sauce), plus vegan Daikon, Rainbow, Extra Hot, Wild Garlic, Beetroot and Mustard Leaf. Raw, unpasteurised, sold direct via kimchiradish.com — and also distributed through Natoora and Provenance Village Butcher (both offer their own nationwide delivery), plus a growing list of cafés, bakeries and delis on the brand’s own stockists page.
Our take: The strongest editorial credibility of any UK maker on this list, with genuinely the widest variety range of the independents here.
📝 Amazon & affiliate check: no Amazon.co.uk listing found. No affiliate programme found on kimchiradish.com itself — but Natoora and Provenance Village Butcher are both larger delivery platforms, so it’s worth checking whether either of those two runs its own affiliate programme separately, rather than approaching Kimchi & Radish directly.
Not Quite Kimchi, But Worth Knowing About
A few kimchi-flavoured products sold in the UK aren’t jarred, live-fermented kimchi at all. We’re not scoring these as brands above, but they’re genuinely sold and worth knowing the difference.
Allergens & Vegan Status — All 20 UK Brands
Independent UK makers are split roughly evenly between vegan and traditional fish-sauce recipes — check the table below rather than assuming.
| Brand | Availability | Vegan | Fish Sauce / Shrimp | Gluten |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vadasz | Supermarket | ✅ Vegan | No | Check label |
| Bibigo (UK ambient) | Supermarket | ✅ Vegan (V-Label) | No (soy peptone culture) | Check label |
| M&S | Supermarket | ⚠️ Check label | Not confirmed | Check label |
| Baxters | Supermarket | ❌ Not vegan (Crunchy & Chilli Pepper) | Yes (anchovy fish sauce) | Yes (wheat flour) |
| The Cultured Collective | Supermarket | ⚠️ Not explicitly marketed vegan | Not listed | Check label |
| Biona Organic | Supermarket & health store | ✅ Vegan | No | No |
| Yutaka | Supermarket | ✅ Vegan (confirmed) | No | No (marketed gluten-free) |
| Sun Hee | Supermarket | ⚠️ Not explicitly marketed vegan | Not confirmed | Check label |
| Mrs Elswood | Supermarket | ✅ Vegan on ingredients | No | Yes (wheat flour) |
| Kelly Loves | Supermarket | ⚠️ Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Check label |
| Tickles’ Pickles | Online & independent | ⚠️ Not explicitly marketed vegan | Not confirmed | Check label |
| Kim Kong | Online & independent | ✅ Vegan | No | Check label |
| Ajumma Republic | Supermarket | ⚠️ Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Check label |
| Ollie’s Kimchi | Online & independent | ✅ Vegan | No (soy sauce & miso) | Check label |
| The North Shop | Online & independent | ❌ Not vegan | Yes (fish sauce) | Check label |
| Eaten Alive | Online & independent · Amazon | ✅ Vegan | No | No (marketed gluten-free) |
| Peichin’s Table | Online & independent | ⚠️ Vegan variant available; Traditional contains fish sauce | Traditional: yes | Check label |
| Loving Foods | Online & independent · Amazon | ⚠️ Not explicitly marketed vegan | No (Celtic sea salt only) | Check label |
| mr. kimchi | Online & independent · Amazon | ⚠️ Vegan line available; Traditional contains fish sauce | Traditional: yes | Check label |
| Kimchi & Radish | Online & independent | ⚠️ Vegan varieties (Daikon, Rainbow) available; Traditional contains fish sauce | Traditional: yes | Check label |
“Check label” means we could not independently confirm vegan status or full allergen data from the retailer/brand listing at the time of writing — always check the actual current package rather than relying on this table alone, since formulations can change.
Full Comparison: UK Kimchi Brands
| Brand | Availability Type | Vegan | Price | Where to Get It |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vadasz | 🏬 Supermarket | ✅ | ~£4.50-4.75 | Waitrose, Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, M&S |
| Bibigo (UK) | 🏬 Supermarket | ✅ | ~£1.75-3 | Sainsbury’s, Ocado |
| M&S | 🏬 Supermarket | ⚠️ | Check in-store | M&S stores |
| Baxters | 🏬 Supermarket | ❌ | ~£3.50 | Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Tesco |
| The Cultured Collective | 🏬 Supermarket | ⚠️ | Check in-store | Sainsbury’s |
| Biona | 🏬 Supermarket & health store | ✅ | ~£5.20 (Tesco) | Tesco, Waitrose, health stores, Amazon, eBay |
| Yutaka | 🏬 Supermarket | ✅ | ~£3.45-3.50 | Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons |
| Sun Hee | 🏬 Supermarket | ⚠️ | ~£2.00-2.20 | Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons |
| Mrs Elswood | 🏬 Supermarket | ✅ (gluten) | ~£3.25 | Waitrose |
| Kelly Loves | 🏬 Supermarket | ⚠️ | Check in-store | Check current stockists |
| Tickles’ Pickles | 🌐 Online & independent | ⚠️ | Check online | Check current stockists |
| Kim Kong | 🌐 Online & independent | ✅ | Check online | Check current stockists |
| Ajumma Republic | 🏬 Supermarket | ⚠️ | ~£2.10 | Asda |
| Ollie’s Kimchi | 🌐 Online & independent | ✅ | Check online | ollieskimchi.co.uk, select London delis |
| The North Shop | 🌐 Online & independent | ❌ | Check online | thenorthshop.co.uk, London Cheesemongers |
| Eaten Alive | 🌐 Online & independent | ✅ | Check online | eatenalive.co.uk, Amazon |
| Peichin’s Table | 🌐 Online & independent | ⚠️ Both | Check online | peichinstable.co.uk, Cambridge delis |
| Loving Foods | 🌐 Online & independent | ⚠️ | Check online | lovingfoods.co.uk, Amazon |
| mr. kimchi | 🌐 Online & independent | ⚠️ Both | Check online | mrkimchi.co.uk, Amazon |
| Kimchi & Radish | 🌐 Online & independent | ⚠️ Both | Check online | kimchiradish.com, Natoora, Provenance Village Butcher |
Prices marked “check online” or “check in-store” weren’t independently confirmed via a listing at time of writing — we’d rather say that plainly than guess a figure.
Where to Buy Kimchi in the UK
In short: Sainsbury’s has the widest supermarket range, Amazon.co.uk (tag: kimchiguide-21) carries 11 of these 20 brands, and 9 independent makers ship direct nationwide. For the full retailer-by-retailer breakdown, every confirmed store per brand, and the complete Amazon and direct-ship links, see our dedicated Where to Buy Kimchi in the UK guide — we keep the detailed comparison table there rather than duplicating it here.
Storage & Shelf Life
Storage guidance genuinely varies by brand — always follow the instructions on your specific jar rather than assuming a universal rule.
- Mrs Elswood: use within 1 week once opened — notably shorter than most other brands.
- mr. kimchi: recommends consuming within 15 days of opening.
- Biona: once opened, refrigerate and consume within 1 month.
- Bibigo (UK ambient): shelf-stable unopened due to its ambient processing; refrigerate after opening.
- Loving Foods: 9-12 month shelf life unopened, thanks to its fermented nature.
- All other brands: refrigerated products — always keep chilled and check the printed use-by guidance on the specific jar you buy.
Best Kimchi Brand in the UK — FAQ
What is the best kimchi brand in the UK?
Vadasz is the most widely recommended UK supermarket kimchi brand — a vegan, unpasteurised kimchi now sold at Waitrose, Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and M&S. If you want an independent, small-batch option instead, mr. kimchi has sold over 500,000 units with 1,140+ five-star Trustpilot reviews and is also on Amazon UK, and Kimchi & Radish has the strongest media and editorial credentials. Which is “best” depends on whether you want supermarket convenience or an artisan, direct-delivery jar.
Does Tesco sell kimchi?
Yes — Tesco stocks Biona Organic Kimchi, Vadasz, Sun Hee and Baxters Kimchi. Availability and exact range can vary by store size and region.
Does Sainsbury’s sell kimchi?
Yes — Sainsbury’s stocks Sun Hee Kimchi, The Cultured Collective Original Kimchi, Bibigo’s ambient Vegan pouch, Vadasz, Baxters, and Yutaka Korean Kimchi.
Does Waitrose sell kimchi?
Yes — Waitrose stocks Vadasz Kimchi and Mrs Elswood Classic Kimchi, alongside Biona’s organic kimchi in some stores. Waitrose also sells a kimchi-flavoured paste under its Cooks’ Ingredients range — see our own-label section above for how that differs from jarred kimchi.
Does Asda sell kimchi?
Yes — Asda stocks Vadasz, Yutaka Korean Kimchi, and Ajumma Republic Kimchi.
Does Morrisons sell kimchi?
Yes — Morrisons stocks Sun Hee Kimchi, Baxters Kimchi, and Yutaka Korean Kimchi.
Does M&S sell kimchi?
Yes — M&S Food has its own-label range with two SKUs, Naturally Fermented Classic Kimchi and Naturally Fermented Golden Kimchi, confirmed on marksandspencer.com.
Is Vadasz kimchi unpasteurised?
Yes — Vadasz’s own retailer listings (Waitrose, Tesco, Ocado) confirm it’s sold as “Vadasz Raw Kimchi”: naturally fermented, unpasteurised, and live-cultured. Once opened, keep it refrigerated and use within 2 weeks per the on-pack guidance.
Is Jongga kimchi available in the UK?
Jongga — our #1-ranked brand on the US pillar — isn’t in mainstream UK supermarkets, but it is genuinely available via Amazon.co.uk and H Mart’s UK store (hmart.co.uk), typically at a premium versus its US pricing.
Which kimchi brands can I buy on Amazon UK?
As of this update, we’ve independently confirmed live Amazon.co.uk listings for 11 of the 20 brands here: Vadasz, Bibigo’s UK ambient pouch, Baxters, Biona, Yutaka, Sun Hee, Mrs Elswood, Ajumma Republic, Eaten Alive, Loving Foods, and mr. kimchi. The remaining nine — M&S, The Cultured Collective, Kelly Loves, Tickles’ Pickles, Kim Kong, Ollie’s Kimchi, The North Shop, Peichin’s Table, and Kimchi & Radish — either aren’t sold on Amazon or we couldn’t find a genuine listing, so we’ve pointed to their direct sites or supermarket instead.
Who makes Vadasz kimchi?
Vadasz was founded by Nick Vadasz in 2011, initially selling pickles and ferments from market stalls in London. The brand arrived at Waitrose in 2019, the same year it was acquired by The Compleat Food Group, which continues to produce it, and has since expanded into Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and M&S.
What is mr. kimchi?
mr. kimchi is an independent UK kimchi maker founded in Tooting, London in 2013. It has sold over 500,000 units, holds SALSA food-safety accreditation, and has 1,140+ mostly five-star Trustpilot reviews. It sells both a traditional (fish-sauce) and a vegan kimchi, ships UK-wide from its own site and Amazon.co.uk, and also runs two Korean restaurants in New Malden and Wimbledon.
What is Kimchi & Radish?
Kimchi & Radish is an independent, small-batch kimchi maker founded in South East London in 2018 by Jihyun “Kimmy” Kim. It has been featured in the Financial Times, Monocle Radio and Times Radio, and Kim is the author of the cookbook KIMCHI (Hodder & Stoughton). It makes seven varieties, sold direct via its own site and through distributors Natoora and Provenance Village Butcher.
Is Ollie’s Kimchi vegan?
Yes — Ollie’s Kimchi, handmade in Hackney Wick, London, is vegan, using traditional fermented soy sauce and miso in place of fish sauce or shrimp paste.
Does The North Shop kimchi contain fish sauce?
Yes — The North Shop’s Classic Kimchi, handmade in Clapton, London, lists fish sauce in its ingredients, so it is not vegan, unlike several other independent UK makers on this list.
What is Kim Kong kimchi?
Kim Kong is an independent UK kimchi brand marketed as unpasteurised and vegan, with strong shopper review sentiment describing it as close to kimchi found in Korea. It isn’t yet stocked in mainstream supermarkets — check current stockists for availability.
Is The Cultured Collective kimchi raw and unpasteurised?
Yes — it’s naturally fermented and unpasteurised, sold at Sainsbury’s in a 250g glass jar with Chinese leaf cabbage, carrot, and mooli radish.
Is Biona kimchi organic?
Yes — Biona Organic Kimchi is certified organic, naturally vegan, and sold at Tesco, Waitrose, independent health-food retailers, and via Amazon and eBay.
Is Mrs Elswood kimchi traditional?
Not entirely — it uses soy sauce and wheat flour rather than the fish sauce and rice paste found in more traditional recipes. It’s vegan-friendly on ingredients but contains gluten.
Which UK kimchi brands are vegan?
Vadasz, Biona, Bibigo’s UK pouch, Mrs Elswood, Yutaka, Kim Kong, Ollie’s Kimchi, Eaten Alive, and Peichin’s Table’s vegan variant are all vegan — 9 of the 20 brands here. The North Shop and mr. kimchi’s traditional line contain fish sauce, though mr. kimchi also sells a separate vegan version. Check the current label if this matters to you.
Does Waitrose sell kimchi paste?
Yes — Waitrose’s own Cooks’ Ingredients range includes a Kimchi Paste, a seasoning/cooking-base product rather than jarred fermented kimchi.
Does Tesco sell a kimchi-flavoured salad?
Tesco has sold a Pickled Cucumber Kimchi Salad under its own label — a kimchi-inspired chilled salad rather than traditional fermented napa-cabbage kimchi.
Are kimchi-flavoured instant noodles or ramyun the same as real kimchi?
No. Kimchi-flavoured instant noodles use dried kimchi flakes or flavour seasoning, not live fermented cabbage, and contain no probiotic live cultures — a completely different product from the jarred/pouch kimchi brands ranked on this page.
Where can I buy independent or artisan kimchi in the UK?
Ollie’s Kimchi, The North Shop, Peichin’s Table and Kimchi & Radish all ship direct to UK addresses from their own websites. Eaten Alive, Loving Foods and mr. kimchi ship direct AND are confirmed sold on Amazon.co.uk. Kimchi & Radish is also distributed via Natoora and Provenance Village Butcher. Peichin’s Table and The North Shop are also stocked in independent delis and cheesemongers locally.
Is UK kimchi as authentic as Korean-imported kimchi?
It varies by brand. Several UK supermarket brands use non-traditional ingredients like soy sauce in place of fish sauce and rice paste. Independent makers like The North Shop, Peichin’s Table’s Traditional variant, mr. kimchi’s traditional line and Kimchi & Radish follow a more classically Korean fish-sauce-based approach.
How long does UK kimchi last after opening?
Storage guidance varies by brand — Mrs Elswood specifically advises using within 1 week once opened, mr. kimchi recommends within 15 days, while others allow longer. Always follow the instructions on your specific jar and keep opened kimchi refrigerated.
Is there halal kimchi in the UK?
Yes — Bibigo’s UK ambient pouch, sold at Sainsbury’s and Ocado, carries Halal certification (Islamic Food and Nutrition Council) per its own retailer listing, and is also V-Label vegan with no fish sauce. We haven’t confirmed halal certification for the other brands on this page, so check the label.
Which UK kimchi is gluten-free?
Yutaka and Eaten Alive are marketed as gluten-free, and Biona lists no gluten. Mrs Elswood contains wheat flour, as does Baxters’ Crunchy & Chilli Pepper variant. For most other brands on this page we couldn’t confirm gluten status, so check the label.
Which UK kimchi is raw and unpasteurised?
Vadasz (sold as Vadasz Raw Kimchi), The Cultured Collective, Kim Kong, The North Shop, Eaten Alive, Loving Foods and Kimchi & Radish are marketed as raw or unpasteurised, so they contain live cultures. Bibigo’s UK pouch is shelf-stable, a different type of product. If you are immunocompromised or have a health condition, ask your doctor before adding fermented foods.
Does this page cover every kimchi brand sold in the UK?
This covers twenty brands with verified UK listings as of this update, spanning supermarket own-labels, Korean-food specialists and independent artisan makers. We continue to check newly-launched brands as they appear and will keep expanding this ranking.
