- Leonidas Daskalidès
Leonidas Daskalidès or Leonidas Kestekides (1876 - 1954) was a Greek chocolate manufacturer, founder of the internationally famous Leonidas company in Belgium. The company's primary focus is
praline s (chocolate shells with soft fillings), but they also sellmarzipan , solid chocolates, and other confectionary.Daskalidès was born in
Nigde inCappadocia (modern dayTurkey ). Accounts of his early years vary, but it appears that he leftConstantinople (now Istanbul), lived in Greece for a while and then went toItaly , where he became a wine merchant. He struggled financially, so he decided to move toNew York , where he lived from 1893-98 and worked as a confectioner. He lived in Paris from 1898-1908.In 1910, he travelled to Belgium to attend the 1910 World Fair in
Brussels as a member of the Greek delegation from the United States. He was awarded the bronze medal for his chocolate confectionery, and the gold medal for his patisserie. He returned to Belgium in 1913, attended the World Fair inGhent , and moved permanently to Belgium.Daskalidès met a young woman from Brussels during his visit, and settled permanently in Belgium. He opened tea-rooms in Brussels, Ghent and
Blankenberge , and the business expanded from there.External links
* [http://www.leonidas.be Leonidas company website]
* [http://www.leonidas.be Leonidas history]
* [http://www.christopherlong.co.uk/res/feedback04.html Post from his great nephew]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.