The Chatzakos family were collecting and selling fresh milk in Eastern Thrace a couple of centuries ago. They came to Greece on boats as refugees in the 1920s, and soon went into the same trade, distributing to the suburbs of Thessaloniki while making yoghurt and rice pudding at their small dairy shop, or galaktopoleio, in the city centre.
Konstantin Chatzakos, then only a baby, grew up to consolidate all that knowledge into a company he called Mevgal in 1950. Almost 75 years later that modest post-war startup is now a major international brand, exporting premium-grade Greek yoghurt and feta cheese to more than 30 countries (though more than 50 per cent is packaged under different names for private labels).
We are proud to stock those products, and to work closely with the third generation of Chatzakos who now run the business – Konstantin’s daughter Mary still serves as president, while his grandson Kostas is now CEO, and granddaughter Mariana handles sales. “We love this company, and we want it to grow,” says Kostas.
“We feel a big responsibility toward all the people who work with us, some of whom are also second or third generation,” he says. Indeed, among the 300 farmers who now supply Mevgal, more than a few are direct descendants of those who first sold milk to grandfather Konstantin. For the purposes of Greek yoghurt, that essential raw material still comes from cows on the Macedonian pastures he specifically chose for the richness of the vegetation as well as proximity to Mevgal facilities – the shortest transportation times make for the freshest milk.
“It’s the best possible environment for livestock,” says Kostas, “and it puts us less than three hours from the furthest farmer. We collect the milk every morning, bring it to our plant in special tankers, then pasteurise and homogenise to strict hygiene standards, to ensure that all the nutrients and trace elements are as they should be.”
Samples are taken for vital analysis at each end of the supply line, he explains. Of the company’s 27 scientists, a vast majority work in quality assurance (the rest in research and development), performing some 1,200 laboratory checks every day. “The right texture and temperature are vital when you’re making yoghurt, because the cultures we add will remain alive through the whole process and then the entire shelf life of the product.”
It may seem obvious enough that such a huge operation has invested in new technology: livestock feeding units, isothermic truck containers, robotic pasteurisation and the latest automated logistics systems. Sustainability has become an imperative, too, especially at the backend where Mevgal has recently reduced the plastic in its packaging signifcantly.
“Of course we want to keep expanding our horizons with new innovations for groundbreaking quality products,” says Kostas. “But the process itself remains traditional.” Some items in the range, like rice puddings, are still made to the recipes developed by his great-grandmother Domna in her dairy shop of 100 years ago, “and we will keep making them as long as we’re producing”. His own leadership is informed not only by his mother’s counsel and his sister’s invaluable assistance, but also his own memories of weekends and whole summers of his childhood spent following his grandfather’s example.
“He was an absolute workaholic, so we would come with him on Saturdays and Sundays and learn a lot from him. I learned to drive here, and not just cars but machinery, and all the production lines. Now we do the same with my nephew and niece.”
What remains unchanged in all that time is the taste and texture of the authentic Greek yoghurt made at Mevgal. “Our yoghurt is just perfect,” says Kostas. “Very rich and thick with that deep, creamy flavour. This product has earned the acceptance of consumers around the world, and I think the taste of it is the main reason.” The calorie content is more of a concern than it used to be, hence a wider choice of modern variations in the range – low-fat, gluten-free, enhanced protein, and any number of fruitier blends.
But the plain and original product is still a healthy option too, Kostas reminds us. “Classic Greek yoghurt is undoubtedly a staple of the Mediterranean diet, with proven benefits to human health,” he says. “It’s high in protein and calcium, and specifically contributes to preventing osteoporosis. It also strengthens gut health and the immune system through vitamin D3. Studies even show that it can help significantly with weight loss, too.”
Find all the recipes in this feature on spinneys.com
