Executive chef Stylianos Dingas visiting Gastronomix 2025
A sensational Olimport stand which brought all the visitors together!
“Why are you applauding her and not me?” humorously asked chef Stylianos Dingas from the Gastronomix 2025 stage at Inter Expo Center - Inter Expo Center, on February 19th. "Milena is a very important person in Bulgaria - due to her support for young chefs and the quality Mediterranean products she offers on the Bulgarian market."
Young culinary talents from vocational schools in Sofia, industry experts, members of the Hellenic Business Council in Bulgaria and many enthusiasts gained knowledge and experience from the source, during the visit of Chef Dingas and his team at the Olimport stand. Chef Dingas recognized and presented all the Greek products from our portfolio, talking about their culinary application with very specific practical examples. It was impressive that he knows them very well, as he uses a large part of them in his own kitchen every day. Some of them were also combined into a delicious and charming cocktail, which we celebrated this exciting event with, in the sea of Mediterranean flavors, also the theme of the 2025 Forum.
An inspirer for the youth
What it is to be a chef? What is the innovative, invented by you, technique for smoking meat? What turns a good dish into a culinary masterpiece? These were some of the questions of the students from the Vocational High School of Tourism in Sofia, walking their path in their culinary training and professional development, which were answered by the culinary star. Students and graduates had the wonderful opportunity to freely talk with Chef Dingas and his team, Chef Alexandros Perdikomatis and Chef Giorgos Lorenzos. The personal inspiring guidance, badges from the Guild of Professional Chefs of Greek Gastronomy and photos with the students and their teachers delighted everyone present.
Who is Stylianos Dingas?
Stylianos (or Stelios) Dingas has 35 years of experience in the field of gastronomy. He lives and works in Thessaloniki as R&D Chef at Artemisia Spices. He is a culinary consultant to many catering, hospitality and meat preparation companies throughout Greece. An excellent connoisseur and lover of Greek cuisine, he is a great advocate for its promotion throughout the world, combining old recipes with modern techniques without losing its identity.
Chef Dingas has many years of experience as a gastronomic teacher at the Vocational Training Institute in Thessaloniki, and his work on smoking and processing meat products are a basic material in gastronomy education both in Greece and abroad. He is the author of a broad part of the teaching material for culinary specialties at the Vocational Training Institute, and in particular the basics of taste and spices, as well as specialized books on culinary techniques again related to smoking and seasoning of meat and other food products. There is no coincidence at all, since he is the initiator and creator of liquid smoke, which finds wide application in the food industry and gastronomy in general. It is exactly here that our paths naturally crossed and together with Chef Dingas and his team, Olimport organized this wonderful meeting with students from Sofia and the country.
And if the above is not enough – Stylianos Dingas is holder of the highest culinary recognition – a Michelin star, as well as the international GTBB gold medal for the development and dissemination of Greek cuisine and numerous other international awards, including that of the global restaurant rating platform Restaurant Guru. He also owns two restaurants. He is the author and host of the TV shows “Favorite Dish” and “Meet the Chef” in Greece.
Yet another recognition for Olimport and more inspiration for everything to come
In addition to all these positive emotions, our Managing Director Milena Asenova received an honorary statuete from the Chairman of the Chefs Club of Hellenic Gastronomy Λέσχη Αρχιμαγείρων Ελληνικής Gastronomy, as a recognition to her contribution to the development of young culinary talents, the promotion of professional-business-education exchange and the uncompromising work with high-quality products and their proper application in gastronomy. This undoubtedly promotes the long-term sustainable development of haute cuisine not only in Bulgaria, but also in the Balkan region!
We thank the Greek Association for the recognition, the Bulgarian Association Of Professional Chefs and Inter Expo Center - Inter Expo Center for the interesting forum, the good organization and the opportunity to meet the students from the Vocational High Schools in Tourism with the inspiring chairman of the Greek Professional Guild Stylianos Dingas and his team.
We also thank all our guests and long-time friends, as well as the Olimport family, without whom life wouldn't be so delicious!
