Tinos Food Paths: Celebrating Gastronomy & Culture in May

Tinos Food Paths: Gastronomy and Culture, an annual gathering in May on the island of Tinos.

© evelyn foskolou

Four years have passed since in 2015 when a few friends in the hospitality industry in Tinos were sitting around a table with raki and local dishes and came up with the idea to showcase the rich gastronomy and culture of the island. The group’s motivation was its love for “True Greek Flavors” and “Culinary Creations” using pure ingredients, mainly of the island. Their goal was to connect the island’s history with its local flavours and to establish Tinos as a culinary destination. The idea materialized and took on the name Tinos Food Paths. The group grew, its core being many restaurateurs of the island. And since then, other entrepreneurs in the tourism and agriculture sectors have been added to the fold.

© evelyn foskolou

Parallel, Tinos Food Paths boasts more than 300 volunteers: men and women, adults and children, local residents as well as residents from many parts of Greece “with” or “without” Tinian origins. The common element of this now-large Tinos Food Paths family is a love for Tinos - for its local customs, culture, flavours, products, and of course a love for service and cooperation. The event is annual and always takes place during the second week of May.

© evelyn foskolou

The event has been widely embraced, as the local community experiences it as one great celebration of gastronomy and culture, and well-established institutions all over Greece have granted Tinos Food Paths various distinctions. Indicatively, Tinos Food Paths has been distinguished by: • Honorary award from Tourism Awards, March 2017 • Honorary Quality Award by Gastroenos Magazine, September 2017 • Example of Entrepreneurship in the Tourism Industry in the 16th Conference of the Association of Greek Tourist Enterprises (SETE), October 2017 • Invitations for further exposure of Tinian Tastes at: ⁃ The official meal of the President of the Republic during his visit to Tinos ⁃ Pan-Hellenic Exhibitions in the Food Sector: ⁃ HORECA, February 2016 ⁃ EXPOTROF, January 2018

© evelyn foskolou

• Two co-organizations of the (1st & 2nd) Aegean Cocktails and Spirits workshops from the Differs Guide under Tinos Food Paths, May 2017 & 2018 After four years of experience, the new goal of Tinos Food Paths is to continue with innovative ideas to highlight Tinian gastronomy and tradition, and at the same time to rally people together in collaborative spirit, so visitors can enjoy a true experience unique from any other tourist destination and product. In closing, here's a listing of Tinos Food Paths in figures: • 4 years of life • 4 successful events • 3 awards from reputable institutions • 2 participations in gastronomy exhibitions • More than 300 unique volunteers • More than 100 unique chefs have cooked meals with Tinian products • More than 4,000 unique visitors to these events • More than 50 food bloggers & tasters took part in the movement • More than 200 mentions in the media Our culinary rendezvous is renewed for the 2nd week of May 2019 at the hospitable island of Tinos. You are all welcome to join! Tinos Food Path Facebook Instagram YouTube