On 23 September 2025, in Brussels, the European Commission named Peskesi “Best Organic Restaurant/Food Service” in Europe at the EU Organic Awards 2025.
For our team, this is a moment of great joy and responsibility. Joy, because this award shines a light on our daily effort over 27 years to offer authentic Cretan cuisine, sustainably, from farm to table. And responsibility, because we are committed to continuing with the same values.
Why Peskesi was recognized
The EU Organic Awards honor initiatives that consistently embed the values of organic production and sustainable gastronomy at every stage of their work. The essence lies in how we grow, collaborate, cook, and manage our resources.
We cultivate 80% of our ingredients, using local varieties we safeguard, through certified organic, regenerative, biodynamic, and seasonal agriculture, drawing on traditional Cretan farming practices. In this way, we protect soil health and natural and water resources, offer healthy, high-quality, and delicious food to our guests, and preserve our culinary cultural heritage. For us, gastronomy is a cultural expression rooted in our land’s tradition and natural wealth.
We work with local producers who share our values to source the remaining 20% of our ingredients. This ensures that our “farm to table” philosophy is applied throughout Peskesi, while also supporting local efforts and strengthening the local economy.
We cook traditional Cretan recipes that we identify through research, and we document those that have not been recorded. We apply traditional food-preservation methods and cooking techniques and uphold our region’s dietary customs. Above all, we follow, safeguard, and highlight the unique “Cretan Dietary Pattern,” internationally documented and recognized for its health benefits and high gastronomic value. Since 1998, we have faithfully served our vision, caring for the preservation, revival, highlighting, and promotion of the tangible and intangible wealth of the Cretan diet.
We manage our resources in a circular way, from farm to table and from table to farm, with a clear focus on minimizing food waste and properly handling leftovers, turning what remains into a valuable resource that returns to our soil and our animals. We balance our environmental footprint, meet our energy and water needs responsibly, and strengthen the overall sustainability of the production and consumption cycle in every way we can. Sound resource management, and circular economy as part of it, is a way of life we inherited from our ancestors, and it runs through every stage of our operation.
At the foundation of these practices lies a vision and a set of values that guide every choice we make: respect for nature, belief in human cooperation, love for our place, and responsibility to future generations. This is not an easy path. It demands consistency, knowledge, and daily effort. But it is the right path, the path of substance and genuine sustainability. And it is the path we continue to follow with the same dedication we began with 27 years ago, offering authentic Cretan cuisine, sustainably, from farm to table. This is our “peskesi” our offering.
What the EU Organic Awards are and why they matter
The EU Organic Awards are the European Union’s official program honoring excellence across the organic food value chain, from producers, processors, suppliers, and restaurateurs to consumers. They are organized by the European Commission in cooperation with IFOAM Organics Europe, COPA-COGECA, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), and the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), and they represent the highest European distinction in the field of organic production.
Their value lies not only in the prestige of the awarding bodies, but also in the message they send that organic agriculture and gastronomy are a practical and workable answer to today’s environmental and social challenges. The awards exist to highlight, each year, those initiatives that prove in practice that producing and serving food can combine high quality, fair partnerships, respect for nature, and community resilience.
The ceremony takes place each year on the EU Organic Day, established in 2021. As EU Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen said at this year’s event, “The winners of the EU Organic Awards are shining examples of what the organic movement in Europe can achieve: they combine the highest environmental standards with economic resilience and social engagement. Their work proves that organic farming not only produces sustainably, but also builds community and shapes the future. Today we honour their achievements and celebrate the strength and potential of the entire organic sector in Europe.”
This recognition goes beyond a competition. It is a statement of European policy intent in favor of a fairer and more sustainable food system. Peskesi’s distinction carries a double meaning. It honors our restaurant for operating with consistency, depth, and responsibility, and it brings Crete and Greece to the forefront of Europe’s conversation about the future of food.
