Our story
The Cypriot Kitchen is a family business led by husband and wife team, Diogenis (Dennis) and Alex Charalambous. Based in Melbourne, The Cypriot Kitchen was inspired by the family gatherings and memories of Dennis’ childhood.
Dennis’ family originated from the little island of Cyprus, which is located in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. His father, Andreas, was born in Peristeronari and his mother, Maria, was born in the neighbouring town of Pendagia. Andreas and Maria migrated to Australia in 1975 following the invasion of Cyprus. Despite being forcibly displaced from their homeland, their connection to Cyprus only strengthened. A typical weekend at the Charalambous’ consisted of cooking a Souvla, baking psoumi (bread), listening to Greek music, making Koulourakia with Yiayia, playing Tavli with Pappou, and visiting relatives from their big Cypriot family. And so, Dennis was fortunate to grow up in a household imbued with tradition and culture.
Family is undoubtedly the most important part of Cypriot society.
Andreas is one of six children, whilst Maria is one of nine. This meant Dennis grew up with 36 first cousins – which ensured a childhood full of feasts and family gatherings. Dennis’ love of food and cooking is a by-product of having grown up in a big Cypriot family, where mealtimes were always a cause for celebration and connection.
Australia has one of the largest Cypriot migrant communities in the world. And like Andreas and Maria, Cypriots are known to keep strong ties to their homeland identity and culture. Inspired by his parents, Dennis hoped to keep their traditions and customs alive through generations to come; by preserving his family’s recipes and sharing them with the community. And so, this marked the beginning of The Cypriot Kitchen.
In 2015, Dennis and Alex made the big decision to open Melbourne’s first Cypriot food pop-up stall. When they started out, most of their customers had never even heard of the little island of Cyprus, let alone tried Souvla, Koupes or Sheftalies.
But over the years, their menu – each dish the product of recipes passed down through generations – has gathered a humble following, and excitedly, Cypriot food has become increasingly popular in Melbourne. The Cypriot Kitchen was inspired by memories and family, and is all about sharing Cypriot cuisine with others. For the Charalambous family, it has been incredibly special to have their culture embraced and celebrated, and their traditional Cypriot recipes enjoyed.