gourmeat

Ο Lazaros Raptis was born and raised in Edessa, Pella Prefecture, in February 1963. Coming from three generations, he fell in love with the art of cooking very early on.

With the family tradition in confectionery and baking, the world of gastronomy was for him his immediate interest. Finishing his school years, he leaves for Thessaloniki to specialize in the field of confectionery and banquet organization.

Creatively restless, after a few years he enters the world of cooking. From October 1982 until April 1984, he fulfilled his military service as Chief Cook at the Eleftheroupoli Guard Officers club and at the Kavala Guard Officers club. Finishing his military duties, he works in the most historic confectioneries of Thessaloniki.

In March 1998, the first restaurant in Greece with vegetarian ethnic cuisine and a section selling organic products (THE 3G VEGETERIAN RESTAURANTS) opens in the center of Thessaloniki, on Kouskoura Street, making it a meeting place for fitness enthusiasts and famous people of the city. There he also creates the first sausages without meat, with vegetable proteins and vegetable mixtures.

In September 2004 he was hired by a large company producing raw materials and auxiliary cooking products as R&D Chef (research and development). He creates products for mass catering customers (spice mixes – marinades – sauces, etc.), but he is also employed in the company's Technical Support Department, answering questions regarding its applications and products and giving specialized seminars to cooks and butchers.

He also worked in the butcher business. By marrying cooking, pastry and bakery techniques, he created original proposals and ideas for the modern butcher shop, adapted to meet the needs of the modern consumer, and shaped a new trend in the Greek meat market. He is a graduate of the State School of Meat Professions and the School of Tourism Professions of Thessaloniki. As the coach of the first team of young butchers to participate in an international competition in Utrecht, Holland, he makes the best impression.

Today he is an R&D chef & culinary consultant and is in private practice. He is a lecturer of seminars specializing in the creation of modern meat products and window display decoration, as well as in new cooking techniques, working with large catering companies. He is an active member of the Chefs Club of Northern Greece and an honorary member of the Gastronomy Association of Greece.

Ο Tasos Andreadis was born in Munich, Germany in May 1977.

He grew up and lived in Ampelokipis, Thessaloniki, while in the last years and before he left abroad he was a resident of Lagadas, Thessaloniki.

At the age of 18 and after high school, he studied culinary arts at I.E.K. N. Moudanion and works as a Second Cook for 2 years at the hotel "Alexandros Palace Hotel and Suites" in Nea Roda, Halkidiki. In January 1997, he served his military service as a cook in the XNUMXth Commando Squadron, as well as in the Rentina Officers' Club.

Immediately after, in 1999, he was hired by the Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki and participated in the opening of its 5-star hotel as a Second Cook. Under the instructions of Mathew Mitnitski and later Michel Jost, he became First Chef at the hotel, while a few months later he was hired by the American Embassy as Head Chef, having full responsibility for the personal and business meals of the respective American Consuls in Thessaloniki.

In 2004, he also participates in the opening of the themed restaurant Peri Orexos in Ampelokipi, making it a meeting point for stars of the artistic and theater fields.

A few years later and after 8 years at the American Consulate, he was hired as an R&D Chef by a company producing raw materials and auxiliary cooking products in the field of mass catering. In the 5,5 years he has been working there, he has created successful products aimed at both professionals and Retail. Marinades, seasonings, sauces and dressings are some of the items on which he acquires specialized knowledge, now being in the field of Research and Development.
He founded the culinary website www.cooknews.gr, while at the same time he has the opportunity to deal with his other great love, the radio, doing morning radio shows on 1055 Rock Thessaloniki.

He attends courses at the Thessaloniki State Meat Vocational School and is increasingly involved in the field of meat preparation, giving presentations all over Greece and now creating specialized products for the butcher shop as well.
In 2013 he left for abroad as he was integrated as an Innovation Chef in Unilever's workforce and specifically in Knorr's Research and Development department.

In the 3 years he has been working at the historic company, he continues to gain valuable experience in the design of innovative products aimed at the Retail sector and the final consumer.

Tasos Andreadis is an active member of the North Greek Chefs Club and holds the title of HACCP system quality certification inspector from TÜV Hellas.