Our Partners
Here you can meet and learn about the history, purpose and work of our Partners and get inspired by their dedication and love of what they they produce.
We work directly with a network of small, artisan producers and monasteries to source authentic, Greek quality foods that fulfill the senses and aspire the soul.
Holy Stavropegic and Patriarchal Monastery of Saint Dionysius of Mount Olympus
The Monastery of Saint Dionysius of Mount Olympus is an Orthodox Christian monastic community. It was founded at the first half of the 16th century by St Dionysius, at the foot of Mount Olympus. Built in a location of unique beauty inside the Enipeas gorge, with local materials, stone and wood, it is an architectural monument harmoniously integrated into the woodland of Mount Olympus, in complete harmony with the natural environment, being an integral part of it.
The fathers of the current brotherhood of the monastery deal with a set of activities, including agricultural and livestock production as well as its processing into new products. In particular, the monastery has a cheese factory, a nut grove, an olive grove, a mountain tea cultivation estate, and a nut processing workshop.
The Cheese factory and Microclimate
The cheese factory is located at the foot of Mount Olympus, in one of its many ravines. The gorges, ravines and streams largely characterize the morphology of Olympus and play a decisive role in shaping the various microclimates found throughout the massif and which vary according to altitude, temperature fluctuations, humidity and orientation.
Over time and after several observations we found that the special climatic conditions (the microclimate) in which these cheese products are produced play a decisive role in their quality and final taste. In fact, it is to a large extent the microclimate that differentiates our cheeses from the products of other small-scale cheese factories, which apply similar or the same production methods, however in different climatic conditions. The interdependence of cheese and microclimate is due to the fact that milk is a living product, which interacts with external conditions or, the other way around, the climate largely affects the behavior of the milk during its processing.
A critical element for the quality of these cheeses is the rapid and under the right conditions forwarding of milk for processing. The quality of the cheese is largely determined by the time that elapses between the collection of the milk and its pasteurization (low-temperature long time pasteurization process) that can only be applied by to cheese factories with a small scale of production. However, the difference of this method, regarding the quality and taste of the final product, is huge compared to the products of large industries, which apply the high-temperature short time (HTST) pasteurization.
The Holy Convent of Annunciation (Ormylia Monastery-The largest women’s monastery in Greece)
On the northern shores of the Kassandra Gulf, in a lush green area of olive groves and vineyards, between the communities of Vatopedi and Ormylia, the Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegial Monastic Community of the Annunciation of the Theotokos was founded in 1974. Known as the Monastery of Ormylia, it is a dependency of Simonopetra Monastery of Mount Athos. It is the largest women’s monastery in Greece, home to approximately 120 nuns, and has a global spiritual influence.
The first concern of the sisters of Ormylia upon settling was cultivating the land. At the time, the plain had been left fallow and uncultivated. At present, the farm of the Convent of Ormylia contains olive groves and other trees that bear fruits — apples, pears, oranges, kiwis, tangerines, apricots, peaches, pomegranates, and quinces. Through their diligent care, the sisters ensure their products are produced according to the highest standards which are reflected on a unique taste.
The Charitable Work
Beyond its spiritual role, the monastery carries out significant social work. About one kilometer from the monastery, the "Panagia Philanthropini" Center operates, offering medical prevention and research, as well as art restoration services. It includes laboratories for pathology, dentistry, microbiology, a mammography unit, and a large conference hall with screening and translation capabilities. The center also has a guesthouse for 30 people. Its medical services focus on early diagnosis of breast, uterine, and skin cancers, as well as public education on preventive medicine (including smoking, nutrition, drug addiction, and AIDS prevention). It also provides pediatric screening for heart disease, thalassemia, and developmental disorders.
The Monastery of the Holy Cross in Corinth
The Holy Monastery of Timios Stavros in the village of Mapsos in Corinthia was founded in 1989. The Monastery has now 45 nuns.
In order to meet the monastery’s needs for survival and all their charitable work, they have been systematically involved in the past 20 years and created a vertically integrated unit within the Monastery, with the final product of dairy and cheese products. They started out with a few dairy cows and at the moment they have created a modern farm. All of their products are made 100% from their own fresh pasteurized milk, without concentrates, powders or other additives. The cheeses mature at least for six months and the main feature of all the products is their excellent quality. Their work has been recognized as remarkable by competent public and private bodies. The Agronomic University of Athens estimates that the Monastery farm is of particular scientific interest considering it as "a model for Greece and abroad". The Charitable Work Along with their every day monastery duties, the nuns carry out a social-charity work. A basic part of this is the free hospitalization of children mainly from families with many children. This was requested by families and started since 1998 with 20 children. Today, this number has approached 1,000 girls.