Our Story
Athena Taverna is born from true Greek roots, where our journey starts way back, on the Island of Hydra.
The island of Hydra is where my grandmother was born, a beautiful small un-spoilt island, where there is no form of transport apart from donkey’s and taxi boats. When she married, they moved to mainland Greece, where they lived not far from Athens.
My parents met in the second world war when my dad was posted to Greece, spending their first years in this beautiful Mediterranean country, where the cuisine was founded on the "Mediterranean triad": wheat, olive oil and wine.
After the war, they got married and travelled back to England where they decided to create their home and life, bringing the authentic Greek experiences and cookery with them.
During my time growing up, I was lucky enough to spend several years going back and forth to Athens, including a short time living here for a number of years. I went to an American school, where I was educated in Greek history and language.
Athens was such a part of me, I later married my husband Dave in the capital, at the same church where my parents were married. We spent many years going back and forth to Athens, spending time with family, continuously learning and perfecting Greek cookery and cuisine, where Dave sparked his passion for cooking Greek cuisine. Over the years we spent many hours in the kitchen with my Grandmother and Great Aunt, learning many traditional recipes and understanding true Greek flavours and ingredients.
Our dream was to one day bring these Greek wonders to England and open our own Greek Taverna, in memory of my family.
Our love of Greek recipes and cooking hasn’t stopped, and now we embark our journey to spread true authentic Greek cuisine to the people of Ludlow. Our friends and family love the food we serve up at gatherings and parties, and now being able to bring them to a wider audience is what Athena Taverna is all about.
We hope you enjoy our traditional recipes of mainland Greece, which have been passed down from family.
