Business Trade of Swedish Buyers in Kavala – Feature in the Swedish Magazine Butikstrender

“Greece continues to have the most delicious delicacies,” is how the Swedish magazine Butikstrender characteristically describes the business trip to Kavala in June of 2024.

For the third consecutive year, Butikstrender participated in a business meeting with 29 Greek companies, while the 9 Swedish guests had the opportunity to connect with Greek entrepreneurs and sample approximately 115 of their products.

Below is the translated article, as published in Butikstrender:

Butikstrender had the honor of participating in another B2B event from “The Flavours of Greece,” which lasted 4 days in Kavala. The event was organized by Antonis Sioulis from Reco Export, together with Richard Wikström and Mikael Törnvall from Smartfind, in collaboration with the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace.

The promotion of products

Butikstrender was accompanied to Kavala by Antonis Sioulis from Reco Export, who led the group of guests that included representatives from Smartfind, Foodbroker, Biggans, Ockelbo Ost, Grekiska Grill & Bar, Restaurangjouren, and Kaizer Imports. The Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace organized this initiative to help its businesses enter the markets of the Nordic countries in the future. Naturally, there were tastings and evaluations of various delicious, flavorful products. On the tables, there were feta cheese, halloumi, goat cheese, olives, olive oil, and yogurt. As if that wasn’t enough, honey, marmalade, pickles, various sauces, beverages, and popcorn were also offered. These and many other items came from this rich and productive Greek region.

Evaluation for the Swedish market

Butikstrender and the other participants evaluated the products based on their potential in the Swedish market. The first day ended with a Greek buffet dinner at a local restaurant, attended by representatives of the Region. The Region was represented by the Governor of Kavala, Theodoros Markopoulos, and the General Director of the Department of Agriculture and Economy, Sotirios Papadopoulos.

On the second day, business meetings (speed dating style) were held with the representatives of the Greek companies, who presented their company and products for 15–20 minutes to the Swedish visitors. It is exciting to see which products will appear on Swedish store shelves in the future. The evening concluded with a Greek three-course dinner for the guests and entrepreneurs, with around 50 people at the rooftop bar of the five-star Galaxy Airotel in Kavala.

The third day included visits to three selected suppliers, each interesting in its own way. We started at Idiotropa, which produces granola, dried fruits, and vegetables. IDIOTROPA is a family business founded in 1992 in Mylopotamos, Drama, by Vassilis Chatzis and his wife, Maria Tsiausidou. It started with the drying of Florina peppers and the popular “DRIED TOMATOES.” The raw materials come exclusively from the Greek countryside.

The second visit was to “MENIKIO,” the “Prosotsani Agricultural and Livestock Cooperative,” a unique vertically integrated dairy enterprise with deep respect for tradition and nature. Menikio is located in the valley of Prosotsani, in the shadow of Mount Menikio, with its production units, fodder stores, and livestock. They produce traditional and natural dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, kefir, cheese, butter, and ariani. All are made from sheep’s and goat’s milk.

The third and final stop was at TSAROUCHAS BROS SA, which produces pickles and other vegetables. TSAROUCHAS BROS SA was founded in 1963 by George Tsarouchas, as a small production unit in Kavala. His goal was to produce his own traditional products and offer them to the local market. He used the best raw materials and applied his own recipes, inspired by him and the area’s culinary traditions. Today, the product portfolio includes various vegetables in brine, such as Macedonian peppers, red roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, cucumbers, capers, mixed vegetables, olives, etc. Their products are distributed under two brands: Makedoniki GI for the domestic market and Buono for export. A delicious buffet with their Greek specialties and sauces was also offered.

The guided tour of the city of Kavala

We also managed to take a guided tour around Kavala before the evening ended with representatives from the Thrace Region at a local fish tavern. This was the sixth part of the joint “The Flavours of Greece” project carried out together with Reco Export and Smartfind, and it was the third event held in Greece. Last year, we were in Athens, and the year before that in Thessaloniki, where the Central Macedonia Region hosted us. The other three events were held in Sweden with Greek entrepreneurs and products – and we are already looking forward to more events with new exciting and delicious products from Greece.

Eastern Macedonia and Thrace

Eastern Macedonia and Thrace is one of the thirteen regions of Greece. It was created in 1987 and is located in northeastern Greece. The Region is divided into five prefectures: Drama, Evros, Kavala, Rodopi, and Xanthi. The region has a population of about 600,000 people.

Source: Butikstrender