Luga e Argjendtë

Context

Dhurata Thanasi is an Albanian consultant engaged in several initiatives related to food and agriculture in her native country. She is notably involved in the Slow Food movement and collaborates with the Ministry of Agriculture of Albania. 

In 2012, she created a blog where she shared traditional recipes and culinary advice, promoting sustainable food. As the blog quickly became successful, she realised the interest of the Albanian population in these topics. Many people were wondering how to access the traditional and quality products mentioned in Dhurata Thanasi's articles. As an answer, she created Luga e Argjendtë.

The project

In 2015, Dhurata Thanasi established Luga e Argjendtë, a store to distribute local food products. The project's main objectives were to provide fresh, healthy, local, and high-quality food to Tirana residents and to create a connection between producers and consumers.

Over time, Luga e Argjendtë specialised in the sale of organic products and expanded its services to include a restaurant, offering seasonal and homemade food. Dhurata Thanasi's involvement in multiple projects in Albania, at various scales and in various fields (agricultural production, packaging, food education, awareness, etc.), became reflected in the activities of Luga e Argjendtë. 

Indeed, in recent years, beyond being a distribution store and a restaurant, Luga e Argjendtë also started to welcome children to raise awareness about the importance of sustainable food. Cooking and gardening workshops are offered, particularly to schools. The organisation also collaborates with farms in the Tirana province to host an annual summer camp focused on food education.

Additionally, Luga e Argjendtë is a place of experimentation that has recently embarked on promoting agritourism by participating in the creation of the Albanian Agritourism Association.

Results

Nearly ten years after its establishment, Luga e Argjendtë has grown and diversified, reaching an increasingly wide audience. Many children have already benefited from the workshops offered by Dhurata Thanasi, and Luga e Argjendtë's restaurant has now become a must-visit address in Tirana, where traditional cuisine is prepared with local, seasonal, and high-quality ingredients.

Little extra

The entirety of this initiative draws inspiration from the "farm to table" concept, which emphasises the proximity between agricultural production and food consumption by eliminating intermediaries and promoting a more direct supply chain. In this sense, Luga e Argjendtë is a project which advocates for environmental and economic sustainability.

This sheet was written by Camille Perigaud, an intern at Let’s Food in May 2023.

Last modification : 16 May 2023.