Conversations with Babis Vlachos - Lavandia
Our mission has always been to introduce the best of Greece to everyone, and what better way to do so than to hear it directly from the source! We asked Babis Vlachos from Lavandia, a small family business that cultivates organic olive trees and aromatic plants to create pure natural food and care products, about Greece, especially around their estates at Mount Parnassos. Their organic cultivation and production is certified by DIO, the first official Inspection & Certification of Organic Products Body in Greece established in 1993.
Q: Tell me more about Lavandia
A: We are a small family business, based in Levadia in Central Greece.
Our goal is to provide each of our customers with pure products using traditional cultivation and production methods that respect nature and make the final product exceptional. We take care of our plants and trees with love and respect, which is a testament of our high-quality products.
Q: What does your day-to-day work life look like?
A: We are very much involved in the entire process of the end-to-end production. From harvesting, sorting, drying, distillation and all through to the final packaging. Being involved in every stage of the production means we get to ensure the sustainability of our land and the superior quality of our products.
Q: Do you have a specific favourite product from your brand?
A: It’s hard to choose as we love all our products! We especially like to prepare infusions by blending two or three of our herbs together to discover new flavours.
Image credit: Trip.com
Q: What is your favourite place in Greece
A: Definitely the mount of Parnassus. Although we were born and have lived most of our lives in the shadows of this mountain, there is still a lot to discover and enjoy in it. It is one of the tallest mountains in Greece, with a beautiful abies forest and many activities to choose from. You can also visit the sacred precinct of Delphi, where the ancient Greeks considered it the centre of the world, marked by the stone monument known as the Omphalos of Delphi. Other than that, you can enjoy skiing in the ski centre, hiking in the beautiful forest, visit one of the many traditional village to experience local foods and many more.
Q: What is one food that you'll recommend to someone visiting Greece?
A: We definitely recommend tasting the souvlaki, which is a famous dish in our town Levadia. Other dishes to try would be Stuffed Zucchini in Egg Lemon Sauce (Kolokithakia Yemista Avgolemono), Marinated Lamb Chops (Paidakia) and moussaka.