Tridimas Bros Charcuterie: The impressive sausage makers of Andros

Butchery is an art that requires high-quality raw materials and the appropriate knowledge of meat processing, smoking, and ageing techniques.

With this logic, the Tridimas Bros Charcuterie began their activity, and their path in sausage making officially started in 2014 as the third generation of tradition in the rearing, slaughtering, and processing of meat.

At the same time, in the same year, they opened their first butcher shop in Gavrio, Andros. In 2019, they created the first modern delicatessen on the island using raw materials not only from the island but from all over Greece.

Their best-sellers are the traditional sausages, prepared according to a family recipe, and the smoked or air-dried salami. Other products include Andros cheese, beech-wood-smoked pork steak, smoked brisket, and sheep prosciutto.

On the island, everything is different

Kostas Tridimas explains to me that "one of the advantages of producing sausages on an island is that iodine and salt are present together in the diet of the animals, in which 90% are not stabled but graze freely in large areas."

"In addition to the food they are given, the animals also consume wild herbs, such as oregano, which contributes to the flavour of their meat," he added.

When I ask him about the other side of the coin, the difficulties that necessarily go hand in hand with the island, he answers: "The cost to get the animal feed to Andros, but also any transport, is higher than if the unit was in mainland Greece. Also, one problem that has appeared in recent years is the lack of water."

Prosciutto, yes, but sheep

In an art as old as charcuterie, with many of the products now more or less familiar to the consumer, one way to stand out is to experiment by using new raw materials and techniques, combining various elements, ultimately resulting in innovative results.

"The sheep prosciutto came about thanks to the excellent quality of the local sheep. We wanted to differentiate ourselves with the leg of sheep, following a process similar to that of pork," Tridimas said.

"In addition, we constantly experiment with meats, techniques, and cuts—a time-consuming task until we arrive at the desired result. In general, ageing foods are also the most difficult products to produce since we do not use artificial preservatives but only natural ones, such as salt, honey, and smoking," he added.

Info: Gavrio Androu, tel.: 22820 72122

Georgios Katapodis is a columnist for Cantina. Translated by Paul Antonopoulos.

READ MORE: Antigoni’s Deli Concept: An unforgettable culinary experience in Samos.