Alfa’s journey begins in the middle of the previous century, in the beloved town of Kozani.
There is where our story finds Mr Athanasios Koukoutaris, the founder of alfa and head of our family.
Armed with love, industriousness, passion, unparalleled determination and an inherent business sense, Thanasis, who was in his teens at the time, prepares along with his mother the first traditional Kozani pies in the kitchen of their home. After baking them in the city’s traditional bakery, he gave them out, using a small lantern he had invented and built himself in order to keep them warm and appetizing.
In the words of our founder: “My mother and I made pies in our small kitchen, which I then sold on the square of Kozani and the outlying villages. Their recipe was the traditional one used in the area: twisted pies with cheese, known as “kihi”, that alfa still produces to this day and that the people have grown to love, in Greece and abroad.
Working since his childhood, self-taught both in the kitchen and in business, his love for making pies always drove him to try to “unlock” the secrets of making the perfect filo pastry sheet. That is why every day, at the break of dawn, he rolled out pastry sheets, made his favorite pies -cheese pies (tiropita) and cream pies (bougatsa)-, took them to the bakery and then sold them using his ingenious slogan with the 5 Fs: “Friend, Find, Friends, Feast, Fly away”.
1950
In the early 1950s, the family business, takes its first steps with the founder, Athanassios Koukoutaris, starting the handmade production of pies.
1965
In 1965, A. Koukoutaris OE was founded. The company acquires a car and begins the distribution in the surrounding prefectures of Kozani.
1977
The distribution network is constantly growing, and in 1977 Athanassios Koukoutaris starts to sell his pies to Central Macedonia and Thessaly.
1980
In the '80s, the reputation of the traditional pie with country-style filo pastry is spreading across Greece. Mass production is now a fact and packaged traditional pies come into every Greek home. Alfa pastry becomes the first company to name the pies - and the taste!
1985
In 1985 the 2 companies Ath. Koukoutaris OE and Aikaterini Koukoutari OE merge, forming the SA that exists today.
1990
In the 1990s, the company is modernized and its sales reach a national level.
1996
In 1996, new facilities were created in Kozani, initially covering 4,500 sq.m. Today, the facilities have reached over 12,000 sq.m.
1998
- The Athens branch was established.
- The Kihi pie entered the retail market (Supermarkets). This is the year where alfa pastry gets widely known as the traditional Kozani Kihi pie is spreading all over Greece, conquering in a short time, a huge consumer audience.
2000
In the 2000s, sales and distribution centers were established in major cities.
2003
In 2003, it was about time for alfa to travel abroad and for us to begin exporting our products. A step that was crowned with success. Since at the moment, the whole world can enjoy our alfa pies. That is why we own companies in Bucharest (Romania), Belgrade (Serbia) and Virginia (USA).
2004
In 2004, privately owned facilities were created in Athens and Thessaloniki, and in 2005, in Ioannina.
2005
2005 was also a salient point for us, when we turned the tables of the market and the kitchens alike by being the first to launch the ingenious paper tray that allows for baking straight in the oven. A product that was awarded in many international events as an absolute innovation in the field and was loved by every household, since it made everyone’s life easier.
2006
- Expanded into the catering/food service market, with accrued products such as croissants and brioche, offering to its businesses clients higher profit margins.
- Awarded the PLMA International Exhibition for the pioneering paper pan.
2008
- Construction of privately owned warehouses in Bucharest begins
- Alfa pastry started to focus even more on the Mediterranean diet and begun to create unique pies, using pure raw materials with a designation of origin.
2009
- Alfa pastry founded a company in Belgrade, Serbia.
- Alfa pastry was awarded the Innovation Award at the ANUGA International Exhibition, again for its’ pioneering paper pan.
2010
- Alfa pastry got certified by ICAP.
- Alfa pastry crafted the Traditional Metsovo pie, an authentic recipe of the Greek tradition, with a country-style filo pastry sheet, delicious filling and PDO feta.
2011
Alfa Pastry Creations was founded in 2011 in Virginia, USA.
2012
In 2012, we introduced the universal symbols of superior quality on its packaging, proving once again the outstanding quality of our products.
2013
In 2013, we pro-actively joined the field of frozen filo pastry sheets with 3 innovative products, one of which is the traditional Kozani “kihi” filo sheet.
2014
Alfa pastry introduces two new products: the ready-made pizza filo sheet with leavened dough, fluffy and ready to bake, and the mini butter croissants fluffy, delicious and ready to bake.
2017
In 2017, we opened a new chapter in the book of home-made pies with our “SoEasy” filo pastry sheet, since it is the only filo sheet that allows you to make a pie in just 3 steps. Another success, given that within a year, it managed to come first in consumer preference in its category.
Alfa’s journey begins in the middle of the previous century, in the beloved town of Kozani.
There is where our story finds Mr Athanasios Koukoutaris, the founder of alfa and head of our family.
Armed with love, industriousness, passion, unparalleled determination and an inherent business sense, Thanasis, who was in his teens at the time, prepares along with his mother the first traditional Kozani pies in the kitchen of their home. After baking them in the city’s traditional bakery, he gave them out, using a small lantern he had invented and built himself in order to keep them warm and appetizing.
In the words of our founder: “My mother and I made pies in our small kitchen, which I then sold on the square of Kozani and the outlying villages. Their recipe was the traditional one used in the area: twisted pies with cheese, known as “kihi”, that alfa still produces to this day and that the people have grown to love, in Greece and abroad.
Working since his childhood, self-taught both in the kitchen and in business, his love for making pies always drove him to try to “unlock” the secrets of making the perfect filo pastry sheet. That is why every day, at the break of dawn, he rolled out pastry sheets, made his favorite pies -cheese pies (tiropita) and cream pies (bougatsa)-, took them to the bakery and then sold them using his ingenious slogan with the 5 Fs: “Friend, Find, Friends, Feast, Fly away”.
1950
In the early 1950s, the family business, takes its first steps with the founder, Athanassios Koukoutaris, starting the handmade production of pies.
1965
In 1965, A. Koukoutaris OE was founded. The company acquires a car and begins the distribution in the surrounding prefectures of Kozani.
1977
The distribution network is constantly growing, and in 1977 Athanassios Koukoutaris starts to sell his pies to Central Macedonia and Thessaly.
1980
In the '80s, the reputation of the traditional pie with country-style filo pastry is spreading across Greece. Mass production is now a fact and packaged traditional pies come into every Greek home. Alfa pastry becomes the first company to name the pies - and the taste!
1985
In 1985 the 2 companies Ath. Koukoutaris OE and Aikaterini Koukoutari OE merge, forming the SA that exists today.
1990
In the 1990s, the company is modernized and its sales reach a national level.
1996
In 1996, new facilities were created in Kozani, initially covering 4,500 sq.m. Today, the facilities have reached over 12,000 sq.m.
1998
- The Athens branch was established.
- The Kihi pie entered the retail market (Supermarkets). This is the year where alfa pastry gets widely known as the traditional Kozani Kihi pie is spreading all over Greece, conquering in a short time, a huge consumer audience.
2000
In the 2000s, sales and distribution centers were established in major cities.
2003
In 2003, it was about time for alfa to travel abroad and for us to begin exporting our products. A step that was crowned with success. Since at the moment, the whole world can enjoy our alfa pies. That is why we own companies in Bucharest (Romania), Belgrade (Serbia) and Virginia (USA).
2004
In 2004, privately owned facilities were created in Athens and Thessaloniki, and in 2005, in Ioannina.
2005
2005 was also a salient point for us, when we turned the tables of the market and the kitchens alike by being the first to launch the ingenious paper tray that allows for baking straight in the oven. A product that was awarded in many international events as an absolute innovation in the field and was loved by every household, since it made everyone’s life easier.
2006
- Expanded into the catering/food service market, with accrued products such as croissants and brioche, offering to its businesses clients higher profit margins.
- Awarded the PLMA International Exhibition for the pioneering paper pan.
2008
- Construction of privately owned warehouses in Bucharest begins
- Alfa pastry started to focus even more on the Mediterranean diet and begun to create unique pies, using pure raw materials with a designation of origin.
2009
- Alfa pastry founded a company in Belgrade, Serbia.
- Alfa pastry was awarded the Innovation Award at the ANUGA International Exhibition, again for its’ pioneering paper pan.
2010
- Alfa pastry got certified by ICAP.
- Alfa pastry crafted the Traditional Metsovo pie, an authentic recipe of the Greek tradition, with a country-style filo pastry sheet, delicious filling and PDO feta.
2011
Alfa Pastry Creations was founded in 2011 in Virginia, USA.
2012
In 2012, we introduced the universal symbols of superior quality on its packaging, proving once again the outstanding quality of our products.
2013
In 2013, we pro-actively joined the field of frozen filo pastry sheets with 3 innovative products, one of which is the traditional Kozani “kihi” filo sheet.
2014
Alfa pastry introduces two new products: the ready-made pizza filo sheet with leavened dough, fluffy and ready to bake, and the mini butter croissants fluffy, delicious and ready to bake.
2017
In 2017, we opened a new chapter in the book of home-made pies with our “SoEasy” filo pastry sheet, since it is the only filo sheet that allows you to make a pie in just 3 steps. Another success, given that within a year, it managed to come first in consumer preference in its category.