Kimchi & Gochujang Classes

Small hands-on fermentation classes with chef Yun, in our 17th-century barn in the Chiltern Hills. Yun has taught Korean cooking at School of Wok, Books for Cooks and Divertimenti. Now she teaches at her own long table, where every class ends with two ferments to take home and a recipe to make again. Choose your class, then your date.

£95 · 2.5 hours · up to 10 guests

Early bird: book by 15 November and take home a free jar of SSUG sauce on the day.

KIMCHI AT HOME

Wed 25 or Thu 26 November, 18:30–21:00 (kimjang week) · Sun 10 January · Wed 10 March

Come in from the cold to a cup of warm roasted barley tea, and settle in at the long table in our barn.

Then it's time to get your hands in. Yun guides you through two kimchis from start to finish: a classic baechu kimchi, salted and seasoned the way her grandmother did on kimjang day, and a seasonal kimchi made with what's at its best right now, from crunchy cucumber in summer to sweet winter radish. You'll work with chilli and seasonings from Korea alongside familiar British produce, and learn why every step matters.

While your kimchi settles into its jars, Yun brings out something hot from the pan: a crisp, golden kimchi jeon to share.

You take home: two kimchis, 500ml each, ready to ferment in your own kitchen, and a "How to ferment at home" card so you can do it all again.

GOCHUJANG & DOENJANG

Wed 20 January · Sat 27 February · Wed 24 March

Every Korean kitchen begins with a single block of fermented soybeans. Steeped in brine through the winter, it gives soy sauce and doenjang; with chilli and sweet rice, it becomes gochujang. Some families still keep a "mother" soy sauce alive for generations, the way a baker keeps a sourdough starter. In 2024, UNESCO recognised Korean jang-making as part of the world's cultural heritage.

This class is your way into that tradition. Over warm barley tea, Yun tells the story of the Korean pantry. Then you make your own gochujang, deep red and gently sweet, and a doenjang rich with savoury depth, using meju and chilli from Korea. Along the way you'll taste what they can do: perhaps Korean fried chicken glazed in gochujang, or crisp seasonal vegetables with ssamjang.

You take home: gochujang and doenjang, 500ml each, and a "Korean pantry calendar" card: how each paste is made, how long it ferments, how to keep it and what to cook with it.

Bring two airtight containers (500ml each), or take your ferments home in a traditional Korean onggi pot, available to buy on the day.

New dates are announced to our letter first. Also at our barn: The Korean Table cooking class and Yun's Table evenings.

About Chef Yun

Yun grew up in Incheon, cooking banquets for Korean family ceremonies alongside her mother. She trained as a fine artist before turning to the kitchen. In London she became head chef for William Norris, catering events at the V&A and the National Gallery, then spent years as a development chef creating Korean and Asian dishes for Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Tesco, and has cooked on ITV. She has taught Korean cooking at School of Wok, Books for Cooks and Divertimenti. Through SSUG she makes small-batch kimchi, sauces and seasonings; at Understory House she brings people to her own long table.

Private classes

Book a class just for your group at our barn, or bring Yun to you. Email contact@ssug.life with your date, numbers and occasion for a quote.

Good to know

• Where: our barn in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire. The full address is sent with your booking. Parking on site; nearest stations High Wycombe, Marlow or Saunderton, then a short taxi.
• Dietary needs: all can be catered for. Please tell us at least 7 days in advance (add them in the order notes).
• Ages: from 14. Under-18s with a participating adult.
• Minimum numbers: each date runs with at least 5 guests. If a date hasn't reached 5 seven days before, we'll offer you another date or a full refund.
• Gift it: give a class with an SSUG gift card, valid 12 months for any experience.

Cancellations

• 7 or more working days before: full refund, or move to another date
• 7 working days to 48 hours before: 50% refund, or a free move to another date
• Within 48 hours: no refund, but you're welcome to send a friend in your place
• If we cancel: full refund or a new date of your choice