We are a third-generation farming family in the village of Mandraki, Serres. Our land sits on the boundary between Lake Kerkini and the Belles range — roughly the same distance from each of those two places, both of them rich in wildlife.
The first planting
Our first orchard went in during the early 2000s, with a mix of French and American varieties: Franquette, Fernor and Hartley. It was a decision made without guarantees — a walnut tree takes years to tell you whether you were right.
Over the following years we extended the orchards, with the same varieties and with new ones: Pedro, Chandler, Fernette, Lara.
2014: the decision
In 2014, son and grandson decided to farm Chandler — the best-known commercial variety — intensively. From that year on we committed to walnuts and hazelnuts and nothing else.
Nothing else means there is no second crop to cover a bad year. It also means all of the attention goes to two trees.
2019: the hazelnut
Our first hazelnut orchard was planted in 2019, after studying the plant, the climate and the growing itself. Ennis is our main variety, alongside Tonda di Giffoni, Romana, Lange and Halls Giant.
From tree to packet
All of it happens here. Harvest, hulling, drying, grading by size, cracking, separating the kernel into halves, quarters and eighths, and packing. It passes through no third party, which is why we can tell you which orchard the thing in your hand came from.
Our orchards are open to visitors. If you find yourself at Lake Kerkini, come and see them.