Owners: George Kostas and PEter Kandi
Business: Irene’s Traditional Greek Pastry
Category: Food and beverage wholesaler
Product: Handmade filopastry, spanakopita, tiropita and prasopita – ready to cook from frozen, plus vegan spanakopita with lactose-free cheese for fasting.
Background: With 25 years experience in the retail deli business, George and Peter’s joint venture sees them move into fine pastry making. George had come across Irene’s products when they were being distributed on a small scale. “The pastry recipe we acquired is unique and we saw the potential to grow it,” says George. “Younger people these days rarely bake anything at home. Our products are based on a traditional recipe are targeted at convenience.”
Perfomance: Having started with six retail customers in August 2011 the business has established a customer base of 80 retail buyers in Victoria plus a distributor in Adelaide.
Unique selling points: “Quality of ingredients. Our handmade spanakopita has 60 per cent filling with 40 per cent dough, whereas with the mass-porduced ones it’s the other way around.
Contact: Retails and distributors wanting more information and samples of Irene’s products should call (03) 8401 4420 or email info@irenespastry.com.au
