22 July 2024

Supplier Focus: Odysea - traditional Greek & Mediterranean products

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Odysea started back in 1991 when founder, Panos Manuelides, began selling olives and home-made dips from a stall in Portobello road

A Family Affair

Odysea started back in 1991 when founder, Panos Manuelides, began selling olives and home-made dips (using his mother’s recipes) from a stall in Portobello road – some of those same dips are now being sold under the Odysea brand in Sainsburys!  The business is still family owned and run by Panos, and his sons Antonis & Phillipos have recently joined the business.

Their motto, slow food for a fast world, epitomises their carefully curated range of Mediterranean products which are sourced from acclaimed regional producers and hand selected for flavour and quality. Their range includes traditionally-cured olives, award-winning honey from lovingly tended bees and premium sourced oils. 

Odysea x Kew collaboration

Odysea is excited to introduce its new Odysea x Kew Gardens product line. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kew is famous for its diverse botanical and seed collections and mirrors Odysea’s dedication to biodiversity, heritage and sourcing quality ingredients. This landmark collaboration showcases 14 limited edition fruit compotes, honeys, oils and antipasti, many of which are available on the Steenbergs grocery website, as well as in the Kew gift shop and online. The collection is also a commitment to the Royal Botanic Kew Garden Charity, which contributes to vital research and wildlife conservation. 

Odysea and Steenbergs

Steenbergs is delighted to be stocking a comprehensive range of authentic Odysea products, including:

• Pomegranate Molasses – with its unique sweet and sour taste it is delicious in salad dressings and savoury dishes including roasted nut and vegetable dips and marinades for meat, chicken, swordfish, and tuna or drizzled over roast vegetables, fruit or yoghurt. Also delightful in desserts, diluted to create cordials and added to cocktails and sorbets. Odysea pomegranate molasses is made purely with the slow reduction of pomegranate juice and contains 100% natural occurring sugars, with no additives.
• Fruit Compotes – Kew Wild Fig Compote and Kew Morello Cherry Compote. Hand made in small batches and cooked in copper bowls to ensure the fruit remains firm and whole, these compotes are inspired by the Greek custom of spoon sweets. Made when fresh fruit is in abundance and preserved for the colder months, guests are traditionally offered a spoon of compote with a cup of coffee in a true gesture of hospitality and connection through food.
• Balsamic Vinegars – two different balsamic vinegars to try, both famous for their probiotic effects – Apple Balsamic Vinegar and Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar. The apple balsamic is made from the juice of red and golden delicious apples and matured in oak barrels for four to five years to create a sweet, fruity vinegar, whilst for the pomegranate balsamic, pomegranate juice is aged for one year to create a ruby red vinegar that can be used much like red wine or sherry vinegar. Both produced in the Lombardy region of Italy.
• Pomegranate Harissa - infuses smoky chilli and red pepper with the ruby red sweetness of pomegranate to create a vibrant spicy paste with a subtle sweetness, perfect to liven up marinades, sauces & stews or served as a dip or spread.

Recipes & Inspiration

Odysea has kindly shared several recipes with us, 2 of which you can find on our recipe pages (links below)

Feta yoghurt spread with pickled fennel and wild fig compote canapés

Gingernut, morello cherry & pistachio crumb tarts

The following is an additional recipe from Panayis’ mother (called Yiayia Vali, yiayia means grandmother in Greek), and is a delicious fusion of Greek, Turkish and French influences. 

https://www.odysea.com/recipes/yiayia-valis-smoky-aubergine-stuffed-tomatoes/

For more authentic recipes using the Odysea products, please head to their website, where you will find everything from Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie) to Mediterranean Fish & Chips.

Competition Time!

Look out for an exciting competition in our newsletter next month to win a fabulous collection of artisan Odysea products, presented in a handy reusable Steenbergs bag.