The Educational Gastronomy Seminars aimed at food service professionals, co-organized for the second consecutive year by the “Captain Vassilis and Carmen Constantakopoulos” Foundation and the Messinian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, have been completed with great success.

The seminars, which were received enthusiastically by Messinian professionals, took place in Navarino Dunes, Costa Navarino, on May 5, 6 and 7, under the auspices of the ATHINORAMA magazine and the "Chrysos Skoufos" (Golden Cap) awards. The aim was to promote Messinian cuisine and support local products.

T

he three-day seminar gave the opportunity to more than 150 food service professionals to become acquainted with distinguished chefs such as Nena Ismyrnoglou, Lefteris Lazarou, and Doxis Bekris, to take notes on practical instructions and suggestions, and also to hold discussions, exchanging knowledge and invaluable tips. The three distinguished chefs cooked alongside the participants, presenting local dishes and giving practical advice.

The combination of tradition and select local products, the new trends in gastronomy and the expectations of the visitors to the area were decisive factors in choosing the recipes to be presented by the three chefs: Messinian village-style “bahçe” with organic seasonal local vegetables on a bed of olives and lalangi, with oven-baked “xerosfeli” cheese and pickled vegetables, noodles with octopus, synglino (cured pork meat), grated talagani cheese and Maniot-style salad with orange, synglino and olive truffles with fig and orange flavored olive oil and lemon sauce; these were only a few of the dishes prepared by the chefs and the participants. 

Moreover, during the theoretical part of the seminars, carried out by George Kalostos (Business & Marketing Consultant) and Yannis Kritsotakis (Economist & Communications Consultant), there were discussions regarding the conditions for success, depending, among other things, on the carving of a specific policy based on the company’s philosophy, the appropriate preparations, the proper education of the staff and the services that focus on the customer. 

As the Director of the “The Captain Vassilis and Carmen Constantakopoulos ” Foundation, Mr. Xenophon Kappas, said, “The Captain Vassilis and Carmen Constantakopoulos’ Foundation’s activities' warm reception by the local professionals was a great reward for us, and one that filled us with joy. This gives us the strength to continue our efforts, striving towards constantly improving the visitors’ culinary experience in our area, thus promoting and supporting local agricultural products.”