Human brand: Just. Argiro.
Greek celebrity chef Argiro Barbarigou has designed a life and career from the Greek kitchen. If ever a human being can bottle and export the essence of Greek food and the spirit it embodies, it is Argiro. Known throughout Greece as the ‘First Lady of Greek Cuisine,’ Argiro has devoted her life’s work to sharing the secrets from the Greek kitchen — modern and ancient — with her audience and fans around the globe.
ARGIRO BARBARIGOU
Greece’s Beloved Celebrity Chef Talks Authenticity in Greek Cuisine and Life.
Cooking is my passion. I believe that Greek Cuisine deserves her own high position in the world’s gastronomy. Greece is so much more than souvlaki and tavernas. Our cuisine is as pure and refined as our spirit, not unlike our philosophy or theatre. I am determined to share my love and knowledge of it throughout the land.The people here in Greece have cheered for me and they took me to places I never thought possible...to the top. They tell me it’s because I was genuine, simple and, like the ‘Girl next door.’ I have only ever received love from my audience. Now I am ready to pay it forward to the world.My success on TV is mostly because I bring so much energy to my cooking shows and appearances. I’ve manage to persuade even the most uninterested or unskilled person... that he or she can cook. Yes, you can make it in the kitchen! Sometimes I feel more like a cheerleader than a cook. My motto, when I first started out, was that there are NO SECRETS in cooking. At least there weren’t with me. The knowledge and techniques I give always come back to me in an encounter with a fan who’ll stop me to share a cooking victory. This includes men, and now I am meeting many, many more young people who are touched and motivated by my work.
"I have never been afraid of competition. I am very direct and genuine in what I do – so people get and appreciate that. They see me as one of them... because I am. And they express love whenever they meet me. It’s quite powerful."
The culinary world has really picked up the last five years with many new chefs on the scene. I have never been afraid of competition. I love it. I believe it benefits me and my unique brand positioning. I am very direct and genuine in what I do – so people get and appreciate that. They see me as one of them... because I am. And they express love whenever they meet me. It’s quite powerful. I have been pretty blessed in my career: Television, restaurants, and becoming a best-selling author. Now I would like to travel the world and properly introduce Greek food as an ambassador to the Greek Cuisine ... Greek Products... Greek Whole Food.My customers have long approached me to enter the U.S. – the only thing that remains is to find the right vehicle – be it a restaurant, TV show, a product line, or all of the above. I can say that whatever I decide to do, I will take the Greek people with me.
“Sometimes I feel more like a cheerleader than a cook.”
I am so very proud of the Greek cuisine and our whole ingredients. I always cook with pure greek produce to accompany my philosophy of a Mediterranean diet. That means healthy local products – easy and fast to make – with a flavor that allures everyone who tries them, but also, everyone who watches them on my show. Sometimes after a show, the supermarket in my neighborhood will say “everyone came in to buy ‘X’ and now we’ve run out!” My audience trusts me, my recipes and cooking style completely – that’s why my books are bestsellers on the Greek market.Everyone knows these are difficult times. I try to use my craft to encourage family time, inspire progress and to give back because I realize with my work, I have the power to help others. I work with numerous charities to raise large amounts of money to assist their mission. I am very honored to have been named an Ambassador for SOS Villages in Greece. Their work is too important to take for granted now. But the value of what I do is more than feeding people. This crisis leaves Greece with very little except a chance to redefine itself. I think I can help by sharing all that it good, one recipe at a time. I am ready to carry ‘the olympic torch’ of Greek Cuisine...on behalf of the Greek people and my beloved country. For the good Greek food, our unique ingredients and most important, the spirit of Greece that it captures and sends.
TV personality, businesswoman, island girl, celebrity chef and award-winning author, authentic Argiro is a brand force for good.
Greek cuisine and restaurant consultant
Chef Argiro offers professional MENU CONSULTING and related services including training and technique to clients around the globe in the areas of:
GREEK MENU CREATION
AEGEAN STYLE CUISINE MENU
MEZE MENU
GRILLED SEAFOOD
GREEK 'TAVERNA' MENU
AUTHENTIC GREEK PIES
GREEK STREET FOOD
MEDITERRANEAN HEALTHY MENU
Celebrity brand spokesperson
Argiro's media celebrity is a brand-building bonanza for dozens of cookware, global food brands and Greek boutique food producers she endorses to promote home cooking and sustainability in local farming. To partner with Argiro in the United States, please email her agent: diane@andoniapr.com
Mentor, role model, humanitarian
Argiro extends her celebrity to numerous causes such as the One Greece campaign to raise funds and awareness for Greece’s economic recovery and the Global Aids campaign. Whether she's speaking motivationally to female inmate or teaching Greece’s orphans and foster children as Ambassador of SOS Children’s Villages Greece, Argiro unconditionally answers the call.
Greece’s culinary ambassador
From the halls of the United States Congress, to Disneyland to Cooking for Bill Clinton at the inaugural event for The Hellenic Initiative, Argiro is invited around the world to share her passionate message of Greece’s unique cuisine with her signature cooking. In 2017 she was named Ambassador of Aegean Cuisine by the European Commission which designated Greece’s South Aegean a “Region of Gastronomy” for 2019.
Restaurateur, chef, entrepreneur
Athens' wildly popular Papadakis was Argiro's second successful venture on the heels of her native Paros island restaurant where the global glitterati would often arrive by boat. From Jean Paul Gauthier to Carla Bruni, throngs of Greek and international celebrity diners compete with locals and tourists alike for Argiro's coveted table, signature cuisine and her unforgettable warmth. Her latest venture Alfa Piehouse in Washington, D.C. showcases Argiro's signature Greek pies.
Award-winning presenter, cookbook author
With over a dozen best-selling cookbooks, Argiro remains Greece’s No. 1 cookbook author in sales, with many of her books receiving awards including two from the French Gourmand Awards. Her latest book “Pure Greek” will be published in America in 2017.
Media darling, TV Personality
The celeb chef who has never hired a agent went on to become a media sensation in a country where celebrity news is usually dominated by singers and actors. Argiro helped pioneer the ‘TV Chef’ and ultimately created a brand that’s in demand by TV, print and digital media, appealing to wide swaths of audiences including women 25 – 50, teenagers and even men.
