We will elevate the level and base of domestic premium ice cream and leap forward as a brand that leads the market. It means we aim to shift the paradigm of Korea's premium ice cream market.
At the Benson Pocheon production center in Gasan-myeon, Pocheon, Gyeonggi, at 10:40 a.m. on the 12th, at the "Benson first-anniversary press briefing," Yoon Jin-ho, CEO of Verascoop Creamery, said, "Right now, the domestic premium ice cream market is centered on products that use skim milk powder and artificial additives." Verascoop Creamery operates Benson, and Hanwha Galleria holds 100% equity.
Benson is a premium ice cream brand introduced by Vice President Kim Dong-Sun, 37, who oversees future vision at Hanwha Hotels & Resorts, Hanwha Galleria, and Hanwha Vision. Kim is the third son of Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn. After opening its first store near Apgujeong Rodeo Station in Gangnam, Seoul, in May last year, the brand added locations at Seoul Station, Yongsan, Jamsil, Suwon, Hwagok, Sillim and elsewhere, and now operates 21 stores.
Benson began in 2023 within Hanwha Galleria's internal ice cream task force (TF) team. After a site contract and groundbreaking for the Pocheon production center in 2024, it completed the facility in April last year and, simultaneously with completion, finished prototype and quality tests before starting full-scale production of Benson products. Yoon said, "To make ice cream with overwhelming taste and quality, we chose in-house production rather than external production (OEM)," adding, "It's a structure that lets us manage everything directly from raw milk to manufacturing processes."
The Benson Pocheon production center is a one-stop production facility where everything from raw milk processing to manufacturing and packaging happens in one flow. The goal is to deliver consistent taste and quality. To that end, the center's production line includes a batching tank that mixes raw milk and fresh cream, sterilization equipment, and an aging tank for the maturation process. In particular, the company adopted Hanwha Robotics' collaborative and industrial robots to automate ice cream cup filling (putting contents into containers) and packaging.
Namgung Bong, head of the Benson Pocheon production center, said, "We designed the process so the same quality can be maintained no matter who works and at what time," adding, "If it were a manual process, four people would have been working just in the packaging area, but now one staffer and an industrial robot are sufficient. With automation equipment, we've improved both space utilization and staffing efficiency."
The Benson Pocheon production center operates from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Namgung said, "For small-size products such as cups, pints and minis, we can produce up to 21,000 units per day," adding, "With the current equipment, we have enough capacity to support as many as 100 stores."
After explaining the production process, the company also held a comparison demo to illustrate overrun (air content) differences. Benson compared the weight of its product and a rival's ice cream placed in containers of the same size. The Benson product measured about 3,445g in materials and supplies, while the rival's product measured about 2,473g. Cho Hyun-cheol, Benson's research and development (R&D) Head of Team, said, "Benson keeps overrun to about 40%, making the share of materials and supplies higher than air," adding, "Even if you eat the same volume, you can feel a denser texture and richer flavor."
Benson plans to expand openings mainly in the Seoul metropolitan area. It aims to secure 30 stores by July. Yoon said, "Early after the brand launch, we opened mainly in Gangnam for awareness, but recently we've been expanding into non-Gangnam areas such as Sillim and Hwagok," adding, "We plan to push for expansion to 100 stores by 2027."
◇ Benson invested 50 billion won… Kim Dong-Sun's standalone brand experiment shifts into high gear
In the industry, Benson is seen as one of the key pillars of Vice President Kim Dong-Sun's standalone food and beverage (F&B) brand strategy. Benson is an independent brand that directly handles everything from brand planning to production and store operations, unlike the Five Guys business, a U.S. premium handmade hamburger brand that Kim brought to Korea.
According to the Financial Supervisory Service's electronic disclosure system, Hanwha Galleria decided last month to make an additional 17 billion won capital injection into Verascoop Creamery. Once payment is complete, cumulative investment in Benson will reach 50 billion won. That is more than double the investment in FG Korea, which operates Five Guys and has been nurtured as a new business by Hanwha Galleria. With talks under way to sell Five Guys, the company is focusing on expanding its dining businesses, including the buffet brand "TAKE."
Yoon said, "Benson has been a brand that Vice President Kim Dong-Sun has cared deeply about since its initial launch," adding, "He continues to give feedback on taste and quality." Yoon added, "Kim emphasizes that product strength matters more than marketing," and "He keeps advising that if the product is strong, the rest will naturally follow."
There were also questions about the growth potential of the premium ice cream market amid a prolonged economic downturn. Yoon said, "I don't think the premium market collapses just because of a slump," adding, "As customers spend more carefully, I see a trend of seeking products with definite taste and quality."
For the time being, Benson plans to focus on delivering brand experiences mainly through road shops and offline stores. Yoon said, "We're open to the possibility of expanding and securing channels such as delivery and e-commerce platforms, but convenience stores and online channels are heavily structured around discounts and promotions," adding, "For now, we plan to focus on delivering the brand experience mainly through road shops and offline stores."