Gastronomy Lab

World-renowned chefs from Greece and abroad captivated audiences with their unique culinary techniques at the Gastronomy Lab. 

HORECA 2025, in collaboration with Haris Charalambidis and Gastronomy Essentials, successfully presented for the third consecutive year the largest gastronomic event of the year, Gastronomy Lab. The specially designed stage of the Gastronomy Lab in Hall 4 was filled with people throughout all four days of the exhibition, leaving the best impressions. The most prominent names in both global and local gastronomy had the opportunity to showcase their culinary talent and share innovative approaches in the culinary field, presenting innovative solutions for restaurants, bars, and hotels. 

A unique journey of flavors with innovative practices and know-how (Day 4) 

Yannis Baxevanis, one of the most iconic Greek chefs, brought his creative perspective to Greek gastronomy through a unique presentation “Modern Seafood Cuisine: A Journey into Greek Gastronomic Richness”. The chef guided the audience on a journey of flavors, highlighting the importance of seasonal ingredients and local production, while telling stories that connect gastronomy with the culture and tradition of Greece. 

Υiannis Baxevanis

“Baba Napolitain: Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”, was the title of the live cooking show by distinguished pastry chefs Alexandros Alexiou and Dimitris Piakoulakis, who presented a unique reconstruction of the classic Baba Napolitain recipe. Through their approach, they highlighted how this traditional flavor can acquire a modern, creative dimension, while maintaining its characteristic simplicity. 

Alexandros Alexiou 

Well-known bakery chef Rodolphe Landemaine took the stage at the Gastronomy Lab for the live cooking show “Sustainable Entrepreneurship” to show us how sustainability and plant-based raw materials are shaping the future of baking. Innovative new practices and high aesthetics were the two main elements of his plant-based philosophy and the business practices he proposed. 

Rodolphe Landemaine, Jean-Marie Hoffmann

Haris Nikolouzos redefined the concept of a bistro and adapted it to the Greek context in his live cooking show “The Greek Bistro: Authenticity with a New Perspective.” He demonstrated how traditional Greek ingredients such as excellent olive oil, fresh herbs, and local cheeses can be highlighted through modern cooking methods, creating dishes that respect tradition while following modern gastronomic trends. He took us on a culinary journey that combined the old with the new, creating a unique and complete experience for bistro visitors! 

The day ended with Nikos Roussos, who was impressed with his unique cooking show “Future Menus-Fin to Gill”, demonstrating ways in which the “Use all – Waste not” philosophy can be put into practice for creating innovative sustainable menus. 

Unique gastronomic creations that resemble works of art! (Day 3)

Distinguished chef Aristotelis Megoulas, known for promoting Greek gastronomy, presented at the Gastronomy Lab his live cooking show “From the Olive Grove to the Table,” emphasizing the importance of olive oil in Greek cuisine. Inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s painting “The Olive Harvest,” he showcased the journey from olive cultivation to the use of olive oil in cooking, offering the audience a unique tasting experience.

Aristotelis Megoulas

Angeli Silva Carolina and Ignacio De Juan-Creix from the PLAT Institute captivated us with a particularly experimental live cooking show titled “MIST: The Science of Edible Mist.” They invited us into a new culinary world, presenting an innovative technique for researching edible aromas and inhalable food, based on a special device that can be utilized in restaurants and bars!

Ignacio De Juan–Creix & Angelina Silva Carolina

Baker Haris Papalitsas redefined the gastronomic position of bread through his live cooking show “Bread as a Gastronomic Creation: The Secrets of Taste.” With him, we explored the art and science behind top-quality bread. We learned about the importance of selecting the right flours, the crucial role of starters, and aging techniques. At the end, we sampled different types of bread!

Ηarris Papalitsas

Chef Panos Dimou, during his live cooking show “C C R (Celler de Can Roca) Cuisine – Conscience – Reflection,” revealed the journey a dish takes from the moment of its conception to its place on the menu of a three-Michelin-star restaurant. Secrets, challenges, techniques, and many details were part of the live demonstration of what occurs in the R&D department of a top restaurant.

The multi-award-winning Thanos Feskos introduced us to the techniques of handmade charcuterie, with an emphasis on organic methods of preservation and flavoring. During his live cooking show titled “Homemade Charcuterie: The Organic Way to Cure and Flavor Meat,” the chef explained how using organic materials and natural processes can offer exceptional quality and flavor in meat preparations, without the need for artificial preservatives or chemical additives.

Thanos Feskos

Denis Coutiade

The most famous maître in the world, Denis Coutiade, focused on emotional intelligence and empathy for the needs of customers. Through his presentation “Once Upon A Time The Service Of Tomorrow,” he spoke about the management methodology of top restaurants, challenges in customer service, the importance of training, and the future of the entire industry.

All the secrets of modern culinary expertise exclusively at the Gastronomy Lab (Day 2)
 

Chef Dimitris Kontaratos presented his live cooking show titled “Organic Aging of Meats and Seafood” at the Gastronomy Lab, focusing on the top technique that enhances and intensifies the natural flavors and textures of ingredients. Combining culinary expertise with science, the visitors learned methods to offer complexity in the ingredients of a modern professional kitchen. 

Ηaris Haralampidis, Jerome Lacressonniere (Ducasse Conseil), Alain Maillet (CNES)

Martin Millouet (Ecole Ritz Escoffier)

Chef Konstantinos Mandylas, in his live cooking show titled “Gastro-Tavern: Reviving Greek Tradition with a Modern View,” introduced a concept that redefines the Greek food experience. Through the selection of fresh, local ingredients and creative cooking methods, he demonstrated that a Greek taverna can be a reference point for modern gastronomy. 

Konstantinos Mandylas

Internationally renowned chef and director of DUCASSE Conseil, Jérôme Lacressonnière, in collaboration with Alain Maillot from the French Space Agency (CNES), attended HORECA to present an unparalleled live cooking session titled “Space Cuisine: Eating in Zero Gravity.” For the first time, visitors of HORECA had the unique opportunity to see up close how canned meals, specially designed for astronauts, are created while maintaining respect for the gastronomic tradition of French cuisine. 

Jerome Lacressonniere (Ducasse Conseil) & Alain Maillet (CNES)

Famous chef Martin Millouet encouraged his audience to dare to redefine the most popular pastry ingredient. During his live cooking show “Redefining Chocolate: The Creation of Gravité Cacao,” he introduced the philosophical analysis of a dessert based on cocoa and revealed new innovative processing techniques. 

Jerome Lacressonniere (Ducasse Conseil)

Famous Greek chef Dimitris Katrivesis brought the future of restaurant gastronomy to the Gastronomy Lab of HORECA 2025 with his live cooking show “Changing the Menu of the Future: Utopia or a Necessary Reality.” Zero-wasting techniques, the use of super-local ingredients, ethical enjoyment, revolutionary fermentations, and plant-based gastronomy were some of the intriguing highlights. 

Top chef Larhat Lahmer came to HORECA 2025 to present the creative fusion of French pastry with the rich and intoxicating flavors of the Middle East. Through his live cooking show “Fusion Pastry: French Techniques with a Middle Eastern Essence,” visitors watched the preparation of desserts that bridge two worlds, utilizing “exotic” ingredients like spices, Aleppo pepper, mastic, and rich syrups. 

Sweet suggestions for freestyle presentations and innovative cooking practices (Day 1) 

The event kicked off with the distinguished chef, Joseph Sykianakis, who presented Modern Restaurant Desserts that immediately captured the audience’s attention. Using everyday commercial ingredients, the chef created casual sweet options ideal for comfort restaurants. The core principles of his philosophy were the low food and labor costs of the preparations, as well as the freestyle presentations that increase the speed with which a professional kitchen operates.

In an era where new culinary approaches supporting sustainability are at the forefront, the internationally renowned chef Julian Mercier was an essential part of the Gastronomy Lab. Through his live cooking show titled “Experience zero-waste cooking that combines flavor and sustainability!”, he introduced new innovative cooking methods based on sustainability and ethical gastronomy. He prepared incredibly delicious dishes that respected seasonal ingredients, impressing the audience! 

Michalis Marthas

Alexandros Charalampopoulos

Famous Chefs from the Mitsis Group, the largest hotel chain in Greece, revealed all the secrets of a modern and innovative buffet through a live cooking show titled “Upgrading the Hotel Buffet Experience: From Theory to Practice”. They presented techniques, new trends, and everything that industry professionals need to know.

Chef Michalis Marthas presented an innovative live cooking show where the star was fish! Titled “The Future of Fish: Pescetarian Diet, Dry Aging, and Sustainability,” we learned about new pioneering processes that enhance the marine ingredient and highlight its natural flavors and textures. We also discovered all the secrets for fully utilizing every part of a fish with the goal of applying sustainable practices in modern professional kitchens.

The well-known chef Alexandros Charalampopoulos presented the fine art of amuse bouches, based on Greek vegetarian cuisine. During his live cooking show titled “High End Greek Vegetarian Amuse Bouche,” he utilized exquisite local ingredients such as olive oil, herbs, vegetables, and traditional products to create dishes based on complex techniques. Balance, rich flavors, and high aesthetics were showcased in a unique masterclass that captivated the audience! 

Chef Stamatis Misomikes introduced the audience to the philosophy of zero waste and sustainable gastronomy. In his live cooking show titled “No ‘Zero’ in ‘Zero-Waste’: Zero Waste Ethos,” we had the opportunity to enjoy the creation of unique dishes made from food, drink, and other leftovers. 

Julian Mercier – Ecole Ducasse