Theborn Korea enlists Italy's UNOX for K-food rollout
Theborn Korea CEO Paik Jong-won, right, and UNOX CEO Nicola Michelon hold a signed memorandum of understanding at UNOX headquarters in Italy, Nov. 4 (local time). Courtesy of Theborn Korea
Global food service and restaurant franchise operator, Theborn Korea, has partnered with Italian oven manufacturer UNOX to program its standardized recipes into commercial equipment, paving the way for an automated K-food rollout across Europe.
Theborn Korea said Wednesday it signed a memorandum of understanding with UNOX on Nov. 4 at the Italian company's headquarters, combining its expertise in Korean cuisine and TBK sauces with UNOX's commercial cooking technology.
Under the agreement, the companies will test Korean dishes using 11 varieties of TBK sauces and convert cooking conditions into data to develop standardized recipes and operating manuals.
The goal is to allow local restaurant workers with little experience preparing Korean food to produce dishes with consistent taste and quality using UNOX smart ovens.
Founded in 1990, UNOX specializes in commercial smart ovens and recorded global revenue of 360 million euros (540.6 billion won) last year, according to Theborn Korea.
Its product lineup includes convection ovens, which use circulating hot air for even cooking, and combination ovens that integrate hot air and steam.
The latter can automatically control cooking time, temperature and humidity through programmed recipes, with more than 1,000 cooking programs already available.
Theborn Korea expects the partnership to introduce TBK sauces to international food buyers and chefs attending cooking demonstrations at UNOX headquarters.
The company also plans to invite global food and retail industry representatives to its Korean headquarters for demonstrations showcasing how its sauces can simplify the preparation of Korean dishes.
The partnership forms one part of Theborn Korea's broader European expansion strategy, alongside its food consulting collaboration with German retail group Globus, which has already introduced TBK sauces and standardized Korean recipes at two hypermarket food courts.
"This agreement will create new business opportunities in the European market by combining Theborn Korea's expertise in developing Korean dishes using TBK sauces with UNOX's cooking technology," a company official said.
"We will continue aggressive sales activities to make Korean cuisine more accessible to overseas customers through recipes using TBK sauces while expanding our global business," the official added.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.