Our olive varieties are Greek, Italian and Spanish because, at heart, we are not EVOO nationalists, but EVOO perfectionists.
By origin we are part Greek and part Italian. The land we chose for our olive groves is in the hills above the seaside town of Ermioni in the Peloponesse, Greece.
Our vision is to create a world-leading olive oil estate that will produce a range of exceptional extra virgin olive oils with distinct organoleptic characteristics.
We will use
this platform to
educate both professionals and enthusiastic foodies,
advance the use of olive oil in gastronomy,
and push the limits of exceptional quality.
We respect nature and value the deep knowledge inherent in traditional and sustainable cultivation practices. We optimize our outcome with a state-of-the-art olive mill, where we can extract and bottle the best of nature without ever altering it and allow for complete traceability of every step of the process.
Our
People
For us, the most important element of our success is the people who are involved in this project.
We have on board persons passionate about olive oil, with proven professional track records.
General Manager
Dimitris Fotiadis
Dimitris is passionate about olive oil, wine and everything related to sustainable farming and land development. He has 25 years of experience in development and project management of real estate and infrastructure projects, worldwide. Dimitris has lived, studied, or worked as a civil engineer, in the US, France, Germany and Denmark. His wish list includes finishing his B.Sc. in Oenology & Viticulture. He has founded and managed startups in engineering, precision agriculture and real estate development.
Chief Agronomist
and Internationally
Certified Olive Oil Taster
Kostas Lyris
Kostas has devoted his career trying to extract the best olive oil taste that Greek land can offer. He is also a master of blends, which fits perfectly with our philosophy. We rely on his international experience as olive oil taster to help us produce our unique blends
Operations & Finance
Panorea Takoumaki
Panorea keeps the heart of our operations ticking every day and she definitely runs a tight ship in finance and logistics. She knows everything about olive oil, after having completed 6 months of professional-level training in olive oil production, farm to table. Panorea holds a B.Sc. in Geology, an M.Sc. in GIS, and an MBA.
Sales & Marketing
Evagelia Tzekou
Evagelia is passionate about our olive oil and makes sure that everybody out there knows that we produce some of the best in the world. Her mantra is “premium, sustainable and perfect for food pairing”. She has studied photography and graphic design and lived in Copenhagen where she was importing Greek wine. When she’s not on the road for business, she doubles as an internationally awarded street photographer.
Estate
Caretaker
Thanasis Balabanis
Thanasis is our trustworthy land caretaker and supervisor. He keeps our olive grove healthy and in balance with nature
Our core staff is supported by our equally passionate consultants. We would not be able to make our vision come true without the valuable contribution of those people.
Michelin-starred
chefs
Georgianna Hiliadaki & Nikos Roussos
Top gastronomists, winners of multiple awards, creators of the Michelin-starred Funky Gourmet restaurant, this dynamic duo has a passion for developing dishes based on authentic flavors and imaginative combinations. Their input is invaluable to our gastronomical explorations with olive oil
Architect
& Philosopher
Anastasios Rigopoulos
His exceptional designs are informed by his philosophical explorations on the effect of human intervention on natural harmony, and how to preserve the natural balance. His designs for our olive oil mill installation are truly inspired
Global Hospitality
Consultant
Anthony Borantin
His many years of experience in the international premium hospitality sector, both as a hotel executive and as a consultant, make him the perfect partner in our quest to incorporate the Greek principle of “philoxenia” in our activities at ootopia estate.
