Stylianos Grigoriadis, President of Gault Millau Hellas discusses about the guide, Befoo, gastronomic developments and young people’s profile.
H.A: Gault Millau Hellas. What different does it offer to Greek restaurants?
S.G: GM is the first international guide with a presence in Greece. All restaurants included in the guide are evaluated according to the same criteria by trained inspectors. In this way there is harmony between ratings and Greek restaurants become directly comparable to the restaurants abroad. It is therefore an internationalization of Greek catering.
In the application as well as the G&M website tourists, tourists, who have been using the guide for years, will be able to easily and quickly find the best restaurants in Greece.
Restaurants’ rating is just but the tip of the iceberg of GM’s gastronomy promotion strategy. Through the awards, Greek cooks and gastronomy stakeholders have the opportunity to win awards in response to the international gastronomic scene.
H.M: What prompted you to get involved in gastronomy?
S.G: My first contact with GM was when in Paris my start-up was awarded by the guide. I was lucky enough to see up close the promotion of gastronomy of other countries through the guide, which I envied and wanted to bring in Greece.
Gastronomy is culture and history, I believe that our country will take the place it deserves in the international culinary setting and I will be very happy if I can contribute to it through the guide.
H.A: What are the criteria for including a restaurant in the guide of Gault Millau Hellas?
S.G: The GM’s guide has been inspecting restaurants since 1970. It has developed a rating method that has allowed the guide from the outset to highlight a new approach to the culinary art, Nouvelle Cuisine, which has dominated the kitchens.
The evaluation process is top secret, it is done anonymously and the restaurant is not informed about the passage of inspectors until the publication of the guide. The evaluation covers the entire restaurant experience from the reception and the location to the techniques on the plate and choices in wine.
It is important that the guide has no commercial relationship with the restaurateurs and Chefs, in order to ensure a meritocratic and fair evaluation.
H.A: Greek cuisine with French techniques or French cuisine with Greek ingredients?
S.G: Gastronomy is enriched by exchanges. This is the reason why cooks in every country celebrate the inclusion of new countries in guide’s network. Through the events of the guide, Greek cooks will have the opportunity to create with Greek products around the world and to exchange techniques and raw materials with other Chefs.
So both, diversity is the magic of gastronomy.
Stylianos Grigoriadis: Gault Millau Hellas
H.A: Befoo: How does technology combine with modern gastronomy?
S.G: At BeFoo, in Paris, thanks to the algorithm we developed, we personalize meals according to the nutritional needs of everyone. In the same way that proper nutrition affects the performance of top athletes, it affects us all. I believe that more and more people are beginning to realize that to a great extent wellness is directly related to our choices on the plate.
Gastronomy in addition to taste and enjoyment is also health.
H.A: What is the gastronomic profile of the young people of your generation?
S.G: The word innovation is heard more and more, in gastronomy as in all fields. I belong to a generation that is fortunate to have access to unlimited information and content via the Internet.
The young man of 2021 is now a more responsible consumer, respects the environment and wants to know what he eats.
There is a swift in quality and vegetarian cooking suggestions.They are now interested in the seasonality and quality of the raw material. They show special interest in gastronomic trends based on culture, communication and the connection between the traditional and the modern.
H.A: What do you believe will be the developments in catering in the next 5 years?
S.G: It is now well known that modern consumers have more demands than before. Certainly the dining areas will be upgraded with sensitivity to nutritional information and with special menus that will cover specific dietary needs.
We will have developments in the field of mass catering that in order to respond successfully will have to emphasize on the excellent quality of materials, the variety of flavors, the aesthetics and functionality of the space and clearly the service. After the disaster that the pandemic will bring in catering, flexibility and creativity will be factors that will determine the future of catering.
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