Bread-Making Art: Food Photography at Betty’s Bakery Athens for Gastronomos
Meet Elisavet Koulouri, the inspiring force behind Betty’s Bakery in Athens. Gastronomos magazine feature her in it pages as the She’s a new-generation baker who’s poured her passion into mastering the art of handmade sourdough bread. With a background in communication and marketing, and an impressive career trajectory that included positions at the European Union, Elisavet took a bold turn. She left behind a corporate future to dedicate herself to something simple yet profound: bread—a craft that food photography beautifully captures, revealing the artistry in every loaf.
At Betty’s Bakery, each loaf tells its own story, and food photography allows us to share the details of this process visually. Elisavet is one of the first in Athens to specialize in handmade sourdough, crafting each batch with 100% organic flour, rose salt, and water—and a whole lot of care. The process takes over 100 hours, nurturing the microorganisms in ideal temperature and humidity conditions to achieve the perfect pH balance. The result is bread that’s dense, full-bodied, and packed with the natural aroma of stone-ground flour, complemented by a crispy crust that delights chefs, food critics, and customers alike. Capturing these textures and flavors through photography emphasizes the quality and dedication behind every loaf.
Sustainability is at the heart of Betty’s Bakery. Every product has a clear origin: from the organic flour to the Greek extra virgin olive oil, herbs, and spices, each ingredient is sourced from top Greek producers. She even goes a step further by having her bread delivered throughout Athens by bicycle, minimizing environmental impact—a moment of delivery worth capturing through food photography for its unique character.
Following the rhythms of nature, Elisavet’s creations change with the seasons. You’ll find bread infused with lavender and honey in the spring and thyme or thrombi in the summer, making each loaf not only a celebration of flavor but a reflection of Greek terroir—perfectly suited to the expressive art of food photography.
Delta Fermentations
Delta Restaurant’s fermentation with the chef George Papazacharias and his team - focused dishes present a captivating story of transformation. Each photo from this recent shoot for Gastronomos Magazine captures an intimate, almost scientific precision, reflecting the meticulous care that goes into the art of fermentation. The dishes, carefully plated and shot up-close, bring out the intricate textures that fermentation yields, each detail highlighting how ingredients evolve visually and flavor-wise through this age-old process.
In crafting these images, natural, soft lighting was chosen to maintain an organic feel, reinforcing the purity behind Delta’s culinary methods. This lighting draws attention to the natural colors and subtleties of the fermented elements, emphasizing their authenticity and the restaurant’s commitment to a clean, ingredient-focused approach. The compositions maintain a minimalist aesthetic, allowing each component of the dish to speak for itself. The simplicity here is impactful; it aligns seamlessly with Delta's vision, letting the nuances of each flavor and ingredient shine through.
Through the close-up shots of ingredients and finished dishes, the artisanal craftsmanship of Delta’s chefs is evident. Their skill lies not only in the cooking but also in their mastery of fermentation techniques, which reveal deeper, more complex flavors in each ingredient. These food photographs honor the careful process and artistry behind Delta’s work, bringing viewers closer to the delicate balance of tradition and innovation in modern Greek cuisine.
The food photography of Delta fermentations reflect this cultural continuity, where timeless methods meet fresh interpretations, celebrating Greece’s culinary heritage while embracing a new vision.
Article by Nikoleta Makrionitou
Gastronomos cover June 2024
Cover photo for the new issue of Gastronomos Magazine
In this issue of Gastroonomos magazine, the editors, seek out the best cool escapes in Athens and put together a survival guide that will make summer in the city fun and enjoyable. Scattered all over Athens, crossed the coastline of Attica, swam at beaches, went on trips to parks and forests, went out for food and drinks in Athenian courtyards and rooftops, cooked the best food and appetizers for summer gatherings at home and envisioned a wonderful summer that is not squeezed into the few days of vacation in August.
- We eat on rooftops with a view, shady pedestrian streets and green courtyards!
Small culinary and aesthetic oases in Athens and its surroundings, to escape from the sea of cement, to enjoy great food, peace and coolness. We have found the best spots in Athens that combine good food and a nice environment, where the pulse of the city beats.
- Where are we going to eat after swim?
32 addresses for taverns with good food on our favorite beaches of Attica. Fresh fish, appetizers, meat, but also fine dining by the sea, for every taste and every wallet.
- Green Breaths! Where will I find some shade in the city?
We take the mountains, parks and groves of Attica, in known and unknown places of urban and peri-urban greenery, inside and outside the Basin, organized and "wild", for hiking, cycling and picnics with friends and children, for relaxation and relief from the city heat.
- Summer means hot
At Taverna ton Filon in Kolonos, we cook emblematic oils with a fresh look, from stuffed peppers with extra oily sauce, to pasta, legume salads, turlou, minced meat and gigantes, all cooked with generous doses of olive oil. On Sundays, we cook our favorite summer foods and set a table under the shade of the awning or arbor.
- Picnic snacks and beer snacks
In the green oases of the city and its surroundings, we spread checkered tablecloths and bring from home easy and satisfying snacks, from the timeless meatballs, to tarts and dip for our breadsticks, and we invite the company for leisurely hours in oases of peace and soothing coolness. And on nice evenings, friends gather on the balcony or the roof for beer and the necessary accompanying appetizers.
- 18 delicious adventures around Athens
Urban summer fairs and feasts, fresh, prime summer fruit straight from the tree, cheeses from the hands of the cheesemaker, rare heirloom varieties from passionate growers, visitable food farms for young and old, farm stands with fresh-picked vegetables, oysters at producer prices and fish from the boat. Attica in 18 culinary stops in the most unexpected places!
- Summer cinemas: An ode to global Greek originality and all the suggestions in Athens for cinephile nights smelling of jasmine, in summer cinemas that serve from homemade sour cream and handmade cheese pie, to delicious finger food and cool cocktails. And if you have an appetite and taste, we recommend amazing homemade sandwiches to take with you to the cinema, with summer ingredients in imaginative combinations.
- The Athens we love: Cool and easy summer cocktails on the balcony from our favorite Athens bartenders, the places in the city for deliciously iced, good coffee and bars for evening strolls for the drink that will end our Athenian days in a relaxed way.
- And also: Cool refrigerator sweets with creams, chocolates, jellies and ice cream, reminiscent of the motherly treats of our childhood but renewed and with a guilt-free freshness. And, of course, the June Recipe, with suggestions for every day of the month, simple, easy and quick, with the freshest seasonal ingredients.
Gastronomos June is released on Sunday, June 9 with Kathimerini.
Cover girl: Marina Petridou
Director of Culinary Publications: Angelos Rentoulas
Editor-in-Chief: Christina Tzialla
Art Director: Akrivi Kakkava
Photography & Features Producer: Nasia Diamantidis
GB Corner Gifts & Flavors Easter Chocolate Eggs
Food Photography for the new handmade chocolate eggs of the GB Corner, designed by the hotel's talented pastry chef Alexandros Koufas, will delight young and old and are available in incredible flavors. These are high-quality delicacies made of milk chocolate, which inside hide a rich layer of almond and hazelnut praline, feuilletine and caramelized buckwheat. For lovers of bitter chocolate, there is also the version with bitter cocoa and a layer of hazelnut praline, milk caramel, salt flower and jiadujia chocolate.
Styling Rosa Karac
Assist Antonis Kavouris
Winter Cocktails in Line Athens
In this food photography for Oinochoos magazine, the guests star Christos Klouvatos welcomes us to Line Athens bar and makes some wonderful cocktails with cognac, the spirit that is making a comeback as a base in classic and signature cocktails.
Christos is a bartender and connoisseur of good coffee, with numerous awards at international events. He recently placed fourth in the Coffee in Good Spirits Championship, a global competition focused on liquor and coffee, representing the Taf company, and is also a finalist in the World Class 2023. This season we find him behind the bar of Line, No 12 at World's Best Bars. He also oversees the cocktails and coffee at the Makris restaurant and, as a member of the Line team, also collaborates with the Delta Restaurant.
Text by Georgia Papastamou
tails
Tudor Hall Michelin Star Food photography
I felt so happy when I informed that Tudor Hall, the crown jewel of King George Hotel, has won its first Michelin star! Congratulations to the entire team, to our visionary Executive Chef Asterios Koustoudis and the talented Chef de Cuisine Nikos Leivadias.!
The happiness first comes from the appreciation for the team as chefs and personalities. I see their work from close the last years and really they deserved this title . Another fact that made me happy is that the latest food photography I photographed for the Tudor Hall magazine accompanied the participation for the Michelin Star competition. It is great honor to see my food photography work being featured as main picture on the Greek Michelin Star guide. It is an honor to visualize a high level menu that won a place in the high end gastronomy competition of Michelin stars.
Congratulations to all the Grand Bretagne staff for their great work and warm thanks for their trust.
Tudor Hall A newly-selected restaurant that astounded the Guide’s famously anonymous inspectors; directly earning it its first MICHELIN Star!. This elegant eatery, located atop the King George Hotel and affording breathtaking vistas, offers high-quality, contemporary cooking orchestrated by chef Asterios Koustoudis.
On the 7th Floor of King George, the Tudor Hall Restaurant offers the finest and most elegant Contemporary Cuisine. The décor prevailing at Tudor Hall mirrors the decoration of the King George - an environment of elegance and comfort. The outdoor area offers a breathtaking view of Athens, the ancient city so rich in history it echoes through the modern day identity. Spectate the fabled Acropolis and regal Syntagma Square with views that capture the essence of the ancients in the historic city center. At Tudor Hall, dishes of Contemporary Cuisine are enhanced by the exquisite accompaniment of the finest Greek & International wines.
Rodi Finger Food photography
Food photography for Rodi finger food catering suggests a different way of food presentation with light finger food, drinks and live cooking with original flavors that your guests will never forget.Ideal for children parties and commercial opening events.
Video edit: Thanasis Patistas
Laurent Perrier Cuvee Rose Chosen by the Best
In this photography campaign I had a specific brief to follow, that combines portrait, architecture and food photography with the bootle of Laurent Perrier included. The photoshoot took place in Herve Restaurant in Athens which is the chosen one from Laurent Perrier. The campaign will use the photos online, in video edit social post and prints.
Enjoy the fresh red fruit notes of Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé at Herve restaurant. A unique dining experience: bold, innovative, colorful, stimulating, and progressive.
Herve restaurant is a modern restaurant, doesn’t fit into a category of cuisine but is influenced by many international cuisines. featuring an open kitchen and a hugely popular bar; which takes its name from its French chef, Hervé Pronzato. The Executive Chef & Co-Owner Hervé Pronzato is a passionate chef born and raised in Paris whose reputation precedes him. Having worked among top-level high-end hotels & restaurants in Greece and abroad is now returning to his beloved city, Athens, to present his take on modern gastronomy. Laurent Perrier perfectly pairs with the fresh red fruits notes of Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé.
Costa Navarino Resort food photography
In this food photography for Costa Navarino Hotel in Greece, main object is the recipes with Navarino Icons products. You may not be able to pack the Messinian sun, sea or landscape into your suitcase, but you can certainly take some of its wonderful flavors back home to treat yourself to a Messinian meal. With more than 50 international distinctions so far, the Navarino Icons line of select products from local producers provides you with the ingredients and the inspiration to adopt a healthy lifestyle with all the Mediterranean diet benefits, while indulging in the delicious flavors of Greek food.
I live in a country with a great food culture, that produce a great variety with unique quality of raw ingredients. Many different tastes and cuisines, from one end of Greece to the other, give a rich culture, a polymorphic taste in such a small country.
Food is such an important part of vacations and food photography of every hotel or resort should bring this quality to the viewer. Costa Navarino is a unique combination of beautiful geography, friendly weather, local products. Because of all that has become one of the most known destinations for family vacations worldwide, ideal place to rest body and mind.
In this set, breakfast has these qualities, made of fresh and pure ingredients from the surrounding area of Kalamata and gives to each visitor the feeling of hospitality one needs to relax and feel joy. This year Greece was named 6th Best Country to visit worldwide and 3rd Friendliest in Europe following Condé Nast Traveler’s 2022 lists. The Westin Resort, Costa Navarino and the The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort, Costa Navarino is one of the best resorts and hotels in Greece.
Nana Hotels food photography
For this food photography mission I have visited the Island of Crete and the well known 5* Nana Hotels. Crete is one of the most important gastronomic destinations in Greece and in global level, with a unique diversity of natural beauty. A place that one can have the experience to taste the pure and healthy mediterranean diet.
Nana Princess resort offers a supreme 5* experience of hospitality and VIP services, with a generous selection of 102 immaculately designed suites and villas.
It has been an honor for me to create a sort of photos, designing food photography for the delicious dining experience of Nana Hotels made by the hand of the Michelin star awarded chef, Lefteris Lazarou. The Hotel menu serves an exciting selection of local, Mediterranean and International dishes. Carpe Diem Restaurant is the heart and soul of the resort, inviting guests to relish delectable mouth-watering dishes in exquisite surroundings. In this food photography session I had include the design of a huge Buffet Breakfast which includes local, fresh and colorful ingredients, in front of the great hotel view of Aegean big blue sea.
At the pool restaurant the food photography includes pictures from a selection of delicious lunch dishes. As the evening descends, an à la carte menu treats diners to a taste sensation with exquisite dishes. Mouthwatering meat cuts and a variety of delectable fresh pasta are specially prepared; inspired by delicious local cuisine, aromatic Mediterranean flavours and innovative international trends.
The amazing Eternal Blue restaurant which sits on the waterfront, next to the lapping waves of the Nana Princess private beach, gave a great backdrop for close up pictures of dishes with great evening colors. Pictures of fresh fish and seafood as well as colorful sushi selection prepared and served with true passion. It was food photography and dining experience that will remain unforgettable, with creations that seducing all the senses. I truly suggest this very special location. Enjoy the pictures.
