Driving toward Stymphalia, we paused in the small plateau village of Kalliani. There, a family-run creamery continues to produce exceptional dairy products in modern facilities—a visit was simply a must.

Just 35 kilometers from Kiato, Kalliani is a small village with few residents, including the Leggas family, who began cheesemaking back in 1936. Markos Leggas and his wife Olga, who also ran the local grocery store, started producing feta in the basement of their home. Their passion led them, in 1960, to establish a dedicated creamery, where they expanded into graviera, yogurt, and myzithra cheese.

Markos Leggas, son of Mr. Kostas and Olga, is in charge of production and gave us a tour of the creamery’s facilities. Photo: Vasilis Polychronakis

The people of Corinth quickly embraced their products, and the creamery—later renamed Stymphalia S.A.—gained a strong reputation throughout the region. The business passed to their son Kostas, and today it is run by the third generation: Markos, who oversees production, his wife Penny, who handles quality control, and his sister Olga, in charge of finances. Since 1994, the creamery has undergone significant modernization, and in 2002, it began packaging its products under its own label.

Since 2002, the cheeses of Stymfalia S.A. have been standardized and sold across Greece as well as abroad.
Photo: Vasilis Polychronakis

Today, Stymphalia is a model creamery, with fully automated production lines for yogurt and feta that are among the most advanced in Greece. Milk is collected daily from nearby farms using their own fleet of specialized vehicles, and the family’s traditional recipes have remained unchanged over the decades.

The creamery’s facilities are state-of-the-art, but the recipes for cheese and yogurt remain faithfully traditional. Photo: Vasilis Polychronakis

Their cheeses are not only popular across the Peloponnese and in select restaurants in Athens—they’re also exported to New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Australia, and several European countries.

The cheesemaking process follows traditional methods, using milk collected daily from the surrounding areas. Photo: Vasilis Polychronakis

Next to the creamery, the family operates a retail store offering their full range of cheeses—feta, myzithra, anthotyro, graviera, handmade semi-hard cheeses ideal for grilling, and a particularly flavorful goat cheese. You can also find traditional desserts like creamy rice pudding, strained sheep’s yogurt, and fresh milk butter.

At the Leggas family’s retail shop, visitors can taste and purchase their products.
Photo: Vasilis Polychronakis

The store also houses a butcher counter with local meats, managed by longtime collaborator Iraklis Oikonomopoulos, along with a selection of regional delicacies. So, if you find yourself passing through, you can bring home a taste of Corinthia—and turn it into something truly special in your own kitchen.