Lidl Cyprus’ 2nd Sustainable Gastronomy Competition awarded sustainable creativity

Lidl Cyprus’ 2nd Sustainable Gastronomy Competition was materialised once again this year, with a great response and a warm atmosphere. The event took place on June 15, at the Lidl Food Academy, in the heart of Nicosia. The competition was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Cyprus Chefs Association.

The award ceremony was materialised the day after the competition, which was attended by representatives of colleges/ schools, participants, representatives of the media, as well as friends and associates of Lidl Cyprus, who enjoyed delicious, sustainable gastronomic creations. During the evening, results were announced and the winners were awarded.

The Alpha Culinary & Beverage Academy, the American College and Intercollege took part in the competition. Their aim was to create the most delicious and sustainable three-course meal.

The Alfa Culinary & Beverage Academy emerged as the big winner. The team consisted of: Christos Sanga, Marios Papaprodromou, and Valentina Galantari, lead by professor Mr. Konstantinos Afxentis who accepted their medals with great pride.\

The winning team managed to create a unique three-course meal, perfectly in line with the criteria of sustainable gastronomy. Specifically, the criteria evaluated were, among others, the seasonality and locality of the raw materials used, the low energy and water consumption for preparation of the meals, portion sizes, use of sustainable products and recyclability of packaging.

The winners were awarded by Mr. Yiannis Epaminondas, Human Resources Director of Lidl Cyprus and Mr. Socrates Socrates, representative of the Ministry of Agriculture.

For her part, Lidl Cyprus's External Communication Officer Fotini Pallikaridou said, “We have a lot to gain from Sustainable Gastronomy as our choices affect our health, the environment and food adequacy in the future. So let's start thinking about tomorrow's planet and man. For a better future".

On behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Mr. Costas Kadis, Mr. Socrates Socratous, Minister of Agriculture congratulated Lidl Cyprus for organising the Gastronomy Competition for the 2nd consecutive year: "these events are sensitive towards the need for rational management of natural resources used to produce the food we consume. On behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, through the Common Agricultural Policy, more than €120m is spent in Cyprus annually, in the form of providing incentives to our farmers to carry out their agricultural activities through sustainable production methods, with respect towards the environment and our natural resources. Each of us individually, through simple daily actions such as, for example, choosing local seasonal products in quantities we really need, can integrate sustainable gastronomy into our lives, thus contributing to the preservation of our natural resources for future generations.»

The greeting was addressed by Dr. Christiana Filippou, on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth, in which, among other things, she stated: "I congratulate once again the initiative of Lidl Cyprus and the Lidl Food Academy who have established this competition, which I am sure will become an institution and will contribute to the adoption of good practices by all of us -professionals and simple households- so that eating habits become healthier and more environmentally friendly. I hope the winners will continue to fight to consolidate these habits and to be a source of inspiration for their colleagues, who will in turn also work towards this goal."

Having completed the 2nd Sustainable Gastronomy Competition Completing with great success, Lidl Cyprus, through its business model as well as a multitude of actions, continues to walk steadily on the road to a better tomorrow, sensitising us and our young people on important environmental issues which promote the great need to reduce food waste, the responsible choice of products but also, in general, a responsible attitude towards the environment.

Watch the video of the competition and the award ceremony here