#MedFoodHeroes ambassadors are chefs and foodies who want to see us all enjoying locally produced, sustainable food or dishes that taste better, waste less, support small businesses and respect our environment.
Nikos Mastropavlos
Marinos Skolarikos
Ali Fakhry
Imad Bazzi
Walid and Maysoon Nasserdin
Rosa Rotger
Driss Mellal
Najat Kaanache
Sahar Elhallak
Alfredo Sendim
Fábio Bernardino
Renato Álvarez
Nikos Mastropavlos
Marinos Skolarikos
Ali Fakhry
Imad Bazzi
Walid and Maysoon Nasserdin
Rosa Rotger
Driss Mellal
Najat Kaanache
Sahar Elhallak
Alfredo Sendim
Fábio Bernardino
Renato Álvarez
Nikos Mastropavlos is a journalist, cultural scientist, and the publisher of www.eudemonia.gr which focuses on the culture of everyday life in Greece – especially food, travel and the arts.
“In order to become a #MedFoodHero, you must first be a ‘Meraklis‘. This title of honour is gained by winning battles, where ‘meraki‘ (longing) is bestowed. Meraklides grow, cook, and eat products with all their soul to give and receive joy. This is why their work is divine, natural and sustainable.”
Marinos Skolarikos founded All Wine Stories in 2015 to bring wine culture and stories from wine makers to everyone.
“MedFoodHeroes highlights the efforts made by producers who continuously operate with respect and love for the environment. They are leading the way of how we can all contribute in the face of climate change, the biggest threat.”
Ali Fakhry is a food blogger and social activist from Lebanon. He believes that food culture reflects a nation’s social, historical and spiritual roots.
“Lebanese food is a huge part of who we are. It represents us in the diaspora as our individual stories are exported on small plates. The first time we travelled, we took with us our alphabet, wine, herbs, spices and cuisine – conquering the world in our own way. #MedFoodHeroes shows how our food flies above barriers, from a small nation to the world.”
Imad Bazzi is an activist, advocacy expert and food & travel blogger. He was recognised as among the most influential people online by Foreign Policy Magazine in 2011.
“#MedFoodHeroes will reshape how we look at what we put on our plates and how sustainable it is. Think of it as ‘changing the world one meal at a time’.”
Walid and Maysoon Nasserdin‘s restaurant Coara is Lebanon’s first vegan restaurant nestled in the heart of the Shouf mountains where the couple also grow their own produce. They put their love into every single one of their dishes, creating unique and memorable experiences based on Lebanese food heritage.
In 2012, Coara won the NOWARA Award for Best Economic Initiative For Lebanese Rural Woman in the fields of agriculture and food processing.
Food blogger Rosa Rotger’s love for Menorcan history and tradition has led her over the years to document near-forgotten recipes on her blog Tiberis. Her collections are not limited to cuisine however – she also boasts an impressive assembly of antique cookbooks, metal moulds and kitchen ware. She’s the co-founder of Fra Roger, an organisation that promotes Menorcan tradtitional cuisine, and often participates in various cooking related events and competition judging panels.
Driss Mellal discovered cooking as a student abroad, when he missed the tastes of home. His experimentations with fresh flavours sets this chef and owner of Marrakesh Gastronomy apart.
“Sustainable cooking for me is absolutely dependent on using local products and working with local farmers.”
Chef Najat Kanaache is the winner of World’s Best Moroccan Restaurant three years in a row. She serves local ingredients with a personal touch, sourcing produce through local producers and farmers.
“We need the planet, nature and food to survive and we need to start asking ourselves questions about where our food is coming from.”
Sahar Elhallak, private chef, specialises in Middle Eastern and Moroccan plant-based cuisine. She runs her kitchen from her home in Fez, where she welcomes diners into her beautifully restored house for unique culinary experiences.
“I genuinely believe that with everything in life, we – the consumers – play a significant role in creating sustainable farming and cooking.”
Alfredo Sendim has sustainably and collectively (with local residents) been managing the Monte of Herdado do Freixo do Meio in Portugal as a “common good” for the last 30 years.
“When we do not mobilise the soil, we create conditions for biological diversity, recovery of pastures, dispersion of microorganisms and formation of organic matter.”
Fábio Bernardino is part of a new generation of young entrepreneurs and chefs, who in addition to cooking and teaching also consults in the innovation of products and traditional portuguese delicacies.
“We are going to celebrate sustainable food with our extraordinary Bolota and the mushrooms of our Montado.”
Renato Álvarez has been involved in social causes and organic agriculture since a young age. In the 90s he, along with his family, set up the Ecological Garden ‘Los Seises’ to teach ecological agriculture.
“The Mediterranean diet recovers ancestral knowledge and flavors, rescuing local varieties of vegetables and native breeds from oblivion. This is essential to transition to a safe, accessible and healthy food system for people and planet.”
Recipes to try
Zaalouk (Moroccan Eggplant Salad)
Prep time - 5 mins |
Cook time - 12 mins |
Serves - 4 |
See the recipe
What You Put on Your Plate Can Change the World
Share A Dish Night
25-27 June 2020
#MedFoodHeroes
Let’s celebrate sustainable food
rootedveryday.org/medfoodheroes
What You Put on Your Plate Can Change the World
Share A Dish Night
25-27 June 2020
#MedFoodHeroes
Let’s celebrate sustainable food
rootedveryday.org/medfoodheroes