YIAYIA'S BAKLAVA

YIAYIA'S BAKLAVA SCENTED ROOM SPRAY 

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[The room spray with a cult following]

Syrup-soaked spices and nuts meet crisp filo pastry and generational philoxenia.

Almost as warm as a hug from Yiayia herself.

"I had been to Greece before [you know, the trip everyone does - island hopping and drinking until the point of dreading the next day's ferry] but I never fully experienced Greece until 2018.  My ferry had a small issue which meant I needed to stop on the island of Tinos for a night - a quaint Cycladic Island known for its churches. 

I sat at this small kafenio [café] near the port to skype back home and complain about my lay over.  As I finished my sook about Tinos and how much of an inconvenience being there was, I looked up to see the Kafenio's Yiayia walk straight towards me.  My stomach dropped.  She looked me dead in the eyes and said - I should be offended that you sit here in my family's shop and complain but instead, I will change your mind about our beautiful island.   

The Yiayia [who insisted I call her that by the way - Yiayia], brought me plates and plates of food as we shared stories.   What stood out to me was the plate at the end - her Baklava.   Equal parts spicy and sweet - abit like her really. 

It was on Tinos and because of Yiayia that I learnt what Philoxenia is - a sort of sacred bond between host and guest.  Something that there is no English word that serves as a fair equivalent but something that Yiayia has very much taught me to practice in everything I do today."

Top //    Caramelised sugar, cinnamon dust

Mid //    Nutmeg, clove 

Base //   Vanilla, honey

100ml of fragrant room spray.   Packaged in our cotton gift bag.