Pre COVID-19 Panny Skrivanos was well on the way to realizing his dream – to own a Greek taverna. He had set up shop in Oxford’s Covered Market and was running a thriving Greek street food business The Souvlaki Brothers.
Then COVID-9 hit and everything closed down. By 2022, trade was still struggling to return to pre-pandemic numbers, so Panny decided to call time and shut the shop, much to the dismay of the regular customers.
But Panny, whose family is originally from the Greek island of Chios in the Aegean Sea, was determined to fulfil his taverna ambition and rethought his strategy. Fast forward to 2024, and he’s back on track with a novel way of bringing Mediterranean cuisine to people across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire.
Through new business Mezemas, he delivers homemade Greek sharing feasts direct to customers’ homes every Friday. All you need to do is chill the wine, warm up the food, add the Mezemas play list to your speaker and enjoy an evening with family and friends.
This method was popular during lockdown for those indoors, with big chains operating dine at home experiences. Although it faded out in the immediate reopening of restaurants, plenty still struggle to get out as much as they’d like. And that could be down to accessibility or simply the cost of babysitters.
As part of the promotional activities, the Oxfordshire Guardian was invited to taste-test the food and when the call went out for volunteers, I readily agreed. I love Greek food and did some island hopping there last year, so this delivery had a lot to live up to!
On that note it arrived hand delivered by Chinnor based Panny himself, who made the 30 minute drive to present my meal for the evening.
The sharing box contains a variety of hot and cold food – a total of 13 dishes – and will feed four. First thing to say, this box contains a lot of food, as you’d expect for £85. And second thing to say, this food was the delicious feast it promised and worth every penny.
The box contents are listed on the website and can vary. But our box included:
- Pastitsio (pork and beef ragu with Greek macaroni, cheese nutmeg and bechamel sauce)
- Soutzoukakia Smyrnaki (beef meatballs in a homemade tomato sauce)
- Prawn Saganaki (king prawns baked in mildly spiced tomato sauce with ouzo, feta cheese and orzo pasta)
- Spanakopitakia (crispy filo parcels of spinach and cheese)
- Lemon potatoes
- Dolmades (grapevine leaves stuffed with a traditional rice stuffing)
- Tzatziki, Fava, olives, (delicious) traditional pitta bread
- Tirokeftedes (fried cheese balls)
- Gigantes plaki (giant butter beans cooked with vegetables and herbs in a tomato sauce)
- Bamyes Laderes (okra braised in tomato sauce)
The Pastitsio took me back to Corfu last summer and the homemade meals we had enjoyed at our accommodation. That is the power of authentically cooked homemade meals.
We were all super impressed with the food, the quality, the variety and the quantity. The box contained everything we needed – including napkins, table cloth, cooking directions, and a little touch – ouzo sweets. It easily fed four people (including a ravenous teenage boy!) and we had enough left over for lunch the following day.
Ours was delivered on a cold and rainy Friday in June, and suffice to say, it really brought a little bit of sunny Greece to our home. We cranked up the Greek playlist and all dug into the dishes. It was great way to try a bit of everything in the Greek Meze style!
For me, this is ideal for those with limited takeaway options in rural areas, or those hosting who don’t want the worry of the food arriving late or missing items. Or simply those who crave authentic Greek cuisine.
We felt Mezemas was a really unique takeaway option, good value for money and great quality delicious food. At a little over £20 a head, simply saving on transport and drinks makes it far more affordable than going out which would have been double the price. We are looking forward to the next one already!
Boxes cost £85 and are delivered on Fridays. The contents can be eaten that day or the following. Orders must be placed by Tuesday, as Panny spends Wednesday and Thursday preparing the food. For more information or to order view www.mezemas.co.uk
