The People behind Sphera

Sphera Olive Oil Estate story starts in the early 1900s, when our grandparents, Nicholas and Hareklea Ledaki, bought the first piece of land in Kafouros, Chania, Crete what would one day become Sphera Estate. They knew, from the beginning, that this rich and fertile part of Chania had all the potential to produce world-class olive oil. Through a passionate process of experimentation, sophistication, and hard work, for more than a century, our family has strived to help this outstanding property reach its full potential. Over the years, we have grown to know Sphera Estate intimately. We have discovered its complexities, learned its secrets, and produced fruits of rare quality from its fertile soils.

Today we are proud to continue their hard work with an eye to the future. To make our highly-rated olive oil, we have combined three generations of olive oil making experience with new scientific understanding. Our goal is simple, to offer you the best olive oil the Cretan region has to provide by remaining true to our time-honoured traditions.

We invite you to explore these exceptional, limited-production, extra virgin olive oils from Sphera Gourmet Superfoods.

Food is more than a meal, it is the story behind it.

Following her footsteps…

I was always fascinated by the way my Cretan grandmother reached the age of 100 years old and passed away while she was still healthy and active, both mentally and physically. She lived during very harsh years without having the privilege of state-of-the-art medical care. Her main priority every single day was how would she and her five kids survive – and she managed to live to 100 years! Recalling my memories, I always remember her being active, working on her favourite olive groves and vineyard. I have to say; she was passionate about them. She loved what she was doing! Regardless of how tired she was, she always had the energy to gather the whole family for dinner each and every day; there was not a single day that she would dine alone. And as you may guess, at her table, the centre position was always reserved for a large bottle of her home-produced olive oil. I vividly remember her pouring generously olive oil to the big bowl of salad, which was the second item that was never absent from her dinner table. That was her life; the olive trees, the vineyard, the garden, and the tasty dinners for family and friends. But we never knew her secret of staying so active and healthy for so long. Now, as a scientist who has spent years studying human health, I know that her way of life was her secret of longevity, or what we otherwise call today the Mediterranean lifestyle. That was a physically active life, a balanced Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil, but also her tradition to share her daily dinners with family and friends. That’s why I always emphasise that the Mediterranean diet is not only a diet but the most rewarding and healthy way of living. I believe that the secrets to 100 years of active and satisfying life are the Mediterranean diet and a group of friends to share it with!

 

Dr. Ioanna Ledaki , BSc, MSc, DPhil,
Molecular Oncologist, University of Oxford,
Sphera Gourmet Founder

Following the footsteps of our grandmother – SPHERA’s philosophy and our main ambition is to promote a healthy life style based on a balanced Mediterranean diet.