Growing up in London, Constantine Marzavas spent summer holidays in Thisvi, Greece. He learned how to tend the family olive groves from his grandfather, while his dad—a beekeeper—passed on the art of making honey.
Fast forward to 2004, and Marzavas—now married and employed as a heavy equipment operating engineer—was working in Athens as the country prepared to host the Summer Olympics. After the Games, the couple was part of a movement of young people drawn back to village life, looking to make a living off the land. “With the recession, a lot of people decided to go back to their roots,” he explains.
Marzavas and his wife, Elena, returned to London in 2009, bringing along a drum of olive oil from the family farm. While other guests took wine to dinner parties, they were more likely to arrive with a bottle of oil. Thanks to rave reviews, the couple decided to make the elixir available to a wider audience.
Nicole Laidler is a freelance reporter and copywriter, serving clients in London, Toronto and throughout Southwestern Ontario. She helps people grow their success, one word at a time.