“I wanted to change the market with premium cheese that reflects customer needs.”
Kim Min-jae, the CEO of Aisling Korea, noted the background of launching the company’s flagship brand, "Antoursole."
"Antoursole's" grilling cheese, launched in December 2021, sparked a sensation in the domestic premium cheese market in a short period, earning the nickname “the Hermes of the cheese world” on social media.
CEO Kim penetrated the characteristics of the domestic cheese market and targeted a niche. “Although the Korean cheese market is dominated by large companies, it was difficult to find special products that reflect customer needs. We aimed for this niche and challenged the market with premium grilling cheese.”
"Antoursole's" grilling cheese is made from 100% Irish raw milk. Cows, which are naturally grazed on vast lands averaging over 303 days a year and consume more than 95% natural forage, produce organic raw milk. This meets Ireland's strict environmental animal welfare standards, one of the most rigorous in Europe.
Kim emphasized, “The biggest feature of our product is the 1 cm thickness and the rich butter aroma when grilled, which is evidence of 100% natural cheese made from the finest Irish whole milk,” adding, “We captured customers' tastes because we did not compromise on taste and quality.”
"Antoursole" initially focused on online sales. Kim said, “We started selling through Naver Smart Store, which was a strategic choice,” and added, “I believed that if we could survive on a platform where consumers gather with search intent, we could succeed elsewhere.” The money earned was reinvested entirely into advertising. He reasoned that a strong product could generate word-of-mouth.
This strategy hit the mark. Based on success online, "Antoursole" expanded into offline territory. It not only entered E-Mart Traders nationwide but also successfully operated pop-up stores in several department stores, starting from the Lotte Department Store's Myeongdong branch, thereby increasing consumer touchpoints. Recently, it recorded a complete sellout of prepared quantity in just 8 minutes on CJ Onstyle's "Choi Hwa-jung Show." The primary consumers originally targeted, women in their 30s and 40s, naturally expanded.
Sales, which stood at 620 million won in 2022, increased more than twofold to 1.32 billion won in 2023, and the goal for 2024 is to reach 4 billion won.
Behind this growth was bold decision-making and risk-taking. “In April 2023, we made the decision to sign an exclusive contract for 200 tons of materials and supplies. Since "Antoursole" was doing well, large companies were trying to import raw materials, so we had to secure a large contract. At that time, our monthly sales volume was only a maximum of 3 tons, but without this challenge, the current growth would not have been possible.”
Aisling Korea is preparing for new challenges without resting on its laurels with "Antoursole." He remarked, “Next year, we will introduce a fresh pasta brand, "Manarola," and a brand called "Carrota," utilizing local specialties like Jeju Gujwa carrots.” He further stated, “Our goal is to be recognized as an excellent company that creates and expands products and brands well and ultimately establishes itself in the food and beverage (F&B) industry.”