INTERVIEW WITH AN OFFICIAL AMBASSADOR FOR GREEK GASTRONOMY®2020 EVRIPIDIS GKOGKOS

How do you feel as an official Ambassador for Greek Gastronomy® 2020 who is promoting Greek and local Rhodian gastronomy and Greek products worldwide with a great success for over than 20 years?

First of all I would like to congratulate your sector for the effort to promote worldwide my country and especially the local Rhodian gastronomy through this nomination that gives me the opportunity to present local products and tastes to your audience.

It’s a great honor to work in a level that I love and express my personal skills which I advance from year to year, taking personal care to my clients through my restaurant ,and making friends who come and visit us every year to enjoy not only local gastronomy but also the beauty of my country.

GTBB organization has first set the goal professionally to promote Greek gastronomy and Greek products worldwide and at the same time organizing the global conference of Greek gastronomy annually by the auspices of Greek government. How do you feel representing Rhodes and Dodecanese islands and being an official Ambassador among such great personalities all over the world?

I accept this challenge as a high honor and personal success and I respect all the great collogues that participate to your evaluation. My government and actually South Aegean Region, is a sector that has worked through years the promotion of Rhodian gastronomy participating exclusively with members of the Chefs Club of Dodecanese to the majority of international tourism exhibitions. I personally have participated in many volunteer projects in order to be sure for the best image of our local gastronomy worldwide.

How did you manage to build such a great career and make a global respected restaurant “Calypso” in the magnificent place of Lindos and welcome thousands of tourists every year? 

As the owner and the main chef of “Calypso” restaurant for the last 25 years in Lindos, I respect my customers and their choice to visit first of all my country and as a part of their visit  my restaurant. My main concept is how I would like to offer a tasteful menu to beloved friends and family, using unique Greek products that are harmonized with the summer season and the joy of participating to a tasteful dinner under the Acropolis of Lindos. My clients and friends understand and accept my kitchen as a personalized menu that is difficult to compete. Respect and love for my customers motivated me through years to advance my kitchen in a unique traditional way, because I am a man of tradition and family.

The organization of GTBB with its global professional committee certifies Greek products and Greek restaurants worldwide with the certifications “Authentic Taste of Greece Gold Award” and “Ambassador for Greek Gastronomy Gold Medal”. Tell us how important are these certifications for Greek gastronomy and share with us the core value of Greek products.

It is globally known that Greek products are of high importance. The GTBB organization is such an important mean to our goal to provide and promote Greek gastronomy abroad. The fact that the Greek products are certified for their value is highly respected from any individual or organization and is a part of the improvement or our tourism enterprise and economy.

We would like to ask you as an official Ambassador for Greek Gastronomy® 2020 and a citizen of Rhodes what message would you like to send to the world?

Ι wish for all the people globally to have the opportunity to travel to my country, to collect pictures of our culture civilization, to enjoy our Greek hospitality and the beauty of my island, Rhodes and my village Lindos, with the unique architecture and archeological site of Acropolis. We want to become better for our visitors to enjoy the local authentic gastronomy.

The global conference of Ambassadors of Taste will take place on 19th October 2020 at the emblematic lighthouse of Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (NFCC). Share with us how important is for Greek gastronomy this upcoming annual conference and how meaningful is your awarding under of the shadow of Acropolis. 

The upcoming Annual Conference is a celebration of Greek Gastronomy, a meeting of so many important individuals and organizations that support the idea of the Greek Authentic Taste.

My awarding  is a great  honor  and is very important for all l the involved parties to understand the significant role of the Global Conference of Ambassador of Taste for the future and the success of the Greek tourism strategy.