Lida Papamatthaiaki
She is a powerful Cretan woman.
Lida Papamatthaiaki share with us her beautiful story!
Lida, tell us about you!
I am a food and wine professional, and for as long as I remember myself, I have always been fascinated by food and stories. I studied Social Anthropology and started my career working in museums, and I only started working in the food industry more than eight years ago.
Since then, I went to culinary school, and later, I was trained to be a sommelier. Nowadays, I specialise in communicating Greek food and wine and organizing food and wine events.
How did you decide to go to the UK? What was the moment you decided to get involved with hospitality? Were these decisions connected?
Even when I was working in museums, I was looking to get involved with hospitality but was unsure how. I moved to London to pursue my master's degree. Through this life change, I also realised how much I wanted to get into hospitality.
I realised that one of the most effective ways of communicating a culture is through food. Being away from Greece and finding out more about the perceptions that non-Greeks have about our culture, and our food made my career path clear. I missed Greek food and the warmth of Greek hospitality.
I always say that living in London works as a catalyst in many areas of your life. In terms of pursuing my passion, it greatly affected me.
What is the most important or most apparent feeling you want to project through your work? What do you expect from this industry and its people these days?
I want to inspire love and respect for the artisans and creatives in the food and wine industry; be it a farmer, a chef and many more. Also, since I believe in organic agriculture, I would like everyone to support sustainable food and wine companies.
The hospitality industry needs to be more supportive and sustainable, fostering a thoughtful and uplifting work approach.
I would like to see more hospitality professionals forming communities and mentoring young people. Also, I would like to see more women in leadership roles and the spotlight.
How do you feel about coming from Crete, a place with such significant culinary history and tradition? How would you say it informs how you approach food and hospitality generally, both within Greece and abroad?
Coming from Crete fills me with a sense of pride and humility and makes me feel grounded. The more I research gastronomic history, the more products I taste, the more meals I am sharing or being hosted by fellow Cretans; the more I am amazed.
The more I am exposed to my island's culture, and the more realise how passionate I am about my career path and how much I need to work harder towards my goals.
The traditional Cretan way of hosting is genuinely exceptional. Not only it is unpretentious and deeply satisfying, but you leave feeling as if you have known your hosts for all your life -even if you have just met them. My hospitality standards are the warmth and the deliciousness of traditional Cretan hospitality.
You have a great experience in the front office and back office of a restaurant. How have these experiences moulded your knowledge about the industry, and how do you hope they will direct you in the future?
I am adamant that hospitality professionals are hardworking, skilful, and resourceful individuals. Lately, there is a lot of discussion regarding restaurant culture, as many cases of harassment and burnouts are unveiled. I think that these conversations can be fruitful and impactful to the future of hospitality post-Covid.
I am hoping that hospitality professionals will be getting paid fairly and work within reasonable timeframes. I am also hoping that we will manage to build a strong supportive network looking after each other. It's also essential for hospitality to be supported by the state and well politically- represented. I aim to work the following years towards these goals.
Thank you so much, Lida!
Check her out https://instagram.com/lipadapa?igshid=7df65imi9idf
