Festivals Sani Gourmet

A more recent addition to our festival programme, Sani Gourmet is an annual gastronomic celebration that brings together some of the finest chefs from Greece and around the globe, along with some of the rising stars already starting to make a name. Each year Michelin-starred chefs join the acclaimed line-up set at Sani’s top restaurants to create contemporary dishes that astonish and delight. Over the ten days, guests are also treated to a number of workshops, presentations and wine tastings. In its 5th year, Sani Gourmet is now well on its way to becoming a world-renowned culinary festival.

The dates for the annual Sani Gourmet Festival have just been announced as 14 – 23 May 2010. This year promises to be an exciting year for the festival as it celebrates its five year anniversary in what promises to be one of the most distinctive and exciting events at the resort to date.  

Sani Gourmet 2010 will celebrate the very best in fine cuisine. For the very first time the festival is being dedicated to female chefs, inviting some of the worlds most famous female personalities in the culinary world to Sani Resort to showcase their award wining talents. Each chef will devise a specially created menu of five or six courses paired with different wines at each of the participating restaurants.

Big name highlights for the 2010 festival include: 

Clare Smyth: Head chef at Royal Hospital Road,one of London’s most high profile restaurants of Gordon Ramsey, Clare promises to be one of the ‘top names’ at Sani Gourmet 2010. During her career Clare has worked with some of the best known names in the UK restaurant business including, Michael Caines, Thomas Keller, Heston Blumenthal, the Roux brothers and Alain Ducasse. Clare joined three Michelin starred, Restaurant Gordon Ramsey in 2002, aged 24, and became head chef in March 2007. A fan of seasonal and local produce, Clare’s cooking style lets the delicious natural flavours of gourmet cuisine speak for themselves!

Maria Elia: Having grown-up being inspired by the Greek Cypriot cooking in her fathers restaurant, Maria Elia conjures mouth watering dishes full of flavour. This was further enhanced by later stints in Spain at El Bulli and Arzak – both of which have three Michelin stars. However it was as head chef at Delfina, London that Maria made her name for brilliant combinations of ingredients and flavours. She has taken this inventive style of cooking to new heights in recent years as head chef at the Whitechapel Gallery restaurant.

Cat Cora: One of America’s most popular female celebrity chefs, Cat is best known for making television history by becoming the first and only female Iron Chef, in November 2006, on Iron Chef America. Having been brought up in a small Greek community in Jackson, Mississippi, Cat’s upbringing has had a big influence on her cooking style which blends Greek and Southern flavours to create delicious aromatic dishes.

Flora Mikula: A celebrated French Chef, Flora owns and manages the prestigious Le Saveurs de Flora Restaurant in the heart of Paris, on the ever fashionable Champs-Elysées.  Flora made her name with Les Olivades on the Left Bank but it is here at her own restaurant Flora exercises all her creativity with classic French dishes that have been recreated for the 21st Century.

Reine Sammut: Widely recognised as one of Frances most innovative chefs, Reine has twice been voted ‘Best Female Chef in France’. Together with Guy Sammut she established Auberge La Fenière, a gastronomic restaurant which has been awarded one Michelin star and 17 in Gault-Millau.

Montse Estruch: Executive chef from one starred Michelin El Cingle Restaurant in Barcelona, Montse’s cooking is characterised by the use top quality products with a creative twist and an attention to every detail from colour to setting. Montse has published a series of very successfully cookery books, including El Cingle Sensacions and Sea of Dishes.

Nena Ismyrogloy: Having been awarded The Golden Hat, the Greek gourmet national prize for outstanding cuisine, Nena is one of the most established chefs on the Greek culinary scene. Nena is currently a Head Chef at Gefsis, one of the most highly regarded restaurants in Athens. Previously she was chef and owner of Kallisti, a fine dining restaurant specialising in Greek regional specialities and has also worked at Estiatorio Milos in New York.

Babette de Rozieres: Author of Creole, a culinary guide that combines the tastes and traditions of Asia, Africa, India, France and Spain, Babette lives in Guadeloupe. Her dishes combine an abundant of fragrant spices, fresh herbs, fish and rich sauces.

Cornelia Poletto: Head Chef at Poletto in Hamburg, Cornelia’s culinary skills have been widely recognised and she has been awarded with one Michelin Star. Her dishes have a strong Mediterranean influence.

Georgianna Heliadaki: Graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, Georgianna Heliadaki represents the future in the creative Greek cuisine. When she returned to Greece she worked alongside chef Christoforos Peskias at the well-known restaurant 48 and afterwards went to Spain to work at the “Bulli” of Ferran Andria where she was introduced to the concept and techniques of molecular cuisine. At 2007 together with Nikos Roussos they established Funky Gourmet, a unique restaurant in the centre of Athens, elevating the Greek cuisine to new heights.

Konstantina Faklari: Chef at the prestigious Selini restaurant in Santorini, and voted best chef for 2009, Konstantina Faklari is an extraordinary master of the Greek cuisine. Her dishes have a French finesse, Greek elegance and finally a Mediterranean balance. Her previous restaurant Urban was voted as best bar-restaurant in Athens for 2008. She is without a doubt the future of the Greek cuisine.

With 16 restaurants ranging from gourmet to traditional tavernas and ouzeries, the Sani Resort has worked with Mr. Apostolos Trastelis, owner of the Michelin star restaurant “The Spondi” in Athens, to develop its gastronomic programme for some time. The 2010 Gourmet Festival will take place in four locations: ‘Sea You Up’, an Asian restaurant with outstanding food overlooking the luxury yacht marina and Aegean Sea; ‘The Water Restaurant’, offering à la carte gourmet dining at the Sani Asterias Suites overlooking the private marina; ‘Tomata’ a lively new-age Greek restaurant that is rich in Mediterranean culture; and ‘Byblos’, the chic lounge area at Porto Sani Village.

Basking in the sunshine on the shores of the Kassandra peninsula, Halkidiki, Sani Resort is a family owned and privately developed hideaway set on a 1000 acre ecological reserve. It comprises four hotels: Sani Asterias Suites; Porto Sani Village & Spa; Sani Beach Club and Sani Beach Hotel & Spa. There are three exclusive Sani spa venues, with a marina at the heart; alive with restaurants, cool bars, designer boutiques and art galleries. Home to five of the best restaurants in Greece, Sani Resort is the perfect place to host a Gourmet festival.

With impeccable service, world-class cuisine and beautiful surroundings, Sani Gourmet festival is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy gourmet dishes prepared by some of the world’s best chefs in an enchanting Mediterranean setting.

Sample Packages:

- Sani Resort (0030 23740 99500) offers 3 nights at Porto Sani Village for 2 adults in a Marina Junior Suite Marina view, from 822 Euro (£743) including breakfast and 1 gourmet dinner including drinks.

- Sani Resort (0030 23740 99500) offers 5 nights at Porto Sani Village for 2 adults in a Marina Junior Suite Marina view, starting from 1,370 (£1,238) Euro including breakfast and 2 gourmet dinner including drinks.

- Sani Resort (0030 23740 99500) offers 7 nights at Porto Sani Village for 2 adults in a Marina Junior Suite Marina view, starting from 1,918 Euro (£1,733) including breakfast and 3 gourmet dinner including drinks.

British Airways flies to Thessaloniki daily from London Gatwick with prices starting from £XXX.XX per person, return. To book visit www.ba.com or call 0844 493 0787.


For further press information on the Sani Resort and its restaurants please contact:  Emily Wilson; Emily@grifcopr.com, Sophie Furness; Sophie@grifcopr.com; Kathryn Peel Kathryn@grifcopr.com or Claire Griffin Claire@grifcopr.com or call on 0207 385 7090.     

We reserve the right to change parts or all of the documentation, programm, participating chefs and dates, times without prior information.