If you have an obsession with healthy snacks such as dried fruit, nuts and pasteli (sesame seeds with honey), plus a love of good quality chocolate and coffee (who doesn’t) then you will feel like a little kid in a candy shop once entering the doors of Carpo.
With its flagship store opening in the chic suburb of Kolonaki in 2011 by CEO and founder Kostas Kontopoulos, he later launched two others in Athens- at Maroussi's Golden Hall and another in Psychico.
Carpo is now also taking London by storm in the prestige locations of Piccadilly and Knightsbridge.
The sleek Greek coffee bar on Piccadilly was the first store to open outside of Greece for the family run business. Candied and packed versions of dried fruit are beautifully displayed across the shelves and rustic sacks filled with mixed and roasted nuts are stacked neatly on the raw wooden floorboards.
Their delightful slabs of chocolate mixed with nuts and fruits are found behind the glass counters and no matter which corner of Carpo you are in, the rich aromas entice all your senses.
There’s an array of ground coffee and beans to choose from and you can pull up a stool near the counter, sit back and enjoy a traditional Greek coffee while listening to the latest Greek tracks. Chances are you will also hear many Greek customers chatting away, as it has become a popular spot for Greeks living in London.
Most products are sourced and produced in Greece, including their delicious Greek honey, almonds, walnuts, pistachios and seeds.
With modern and edgy interior design, high customer service and great quality products, it’s no surprise there are days where people que out the door to order their espresso or to pick up one of their favourite breakfast cereals, which includes delicious ranges of oat flakes, brans, seeds and snack bars.
Carpo only sells in season products and some of their most popular dried fruits include dates, figs, blueberries and raisins. And with such gorgeously presented and packed products, it’s also little wonder their Greek honey (from Peloponnese, Tinos & Kalymnos) and their delightful small pieces of organic chocolate are purchased as gifts for loved ones.
Carpo is part of the successful and long running Carpo Hellas food business, which has for more than 23 years, processed, packaged and merchandised premium nuts, dried fruits and chocolate around Greece. From retail to wholesale, Carpo Hellas have collaborated with more than 2000 stores. Their clientele varies from supermarkets, hypermarkets to retail stores and they also export to Germany, France and Italy.
If you are around London or Athens, make sure to pop in and enjoy all the deliciousness that is on offer by Carpo.
