Meet Mama Liza, the face behind a South African seafood chain's famous treats

Step into the world of Mama Liza, the loving hands behind the baklava that sweetens Ocean Basket tables across the country, and the soul who brings warmth and heart to one of South Africa’s favourite Mediterranean restaurants.

Liza Lazarides, affectionately known as Mama Liza was born in 1934 in Russia and later moved to Greece when she was five years old. The youngest of six siblings later went on to marry the love of her life, her husband, Lefteris, a carpenter, and move to South Africa.

The couple had two sons, Fats (Peter) and George.

Mama Liza took care of her family in their humble Pretoria home. Fats left school at 16 to take up his military training and after her husband's stroke, Mama Liza's dream of becoming an entrepreneur was soon realised.

She became the family's breadwinner and cooked and baked. From her tiny kitchen, she supplied the most delicious Greek treats to her Greek community - she still operates this home industry from her home in Pretoria.

Her sons worked across various industries and Fats fell in love with a location in Menlyn Park shopping centre where he wanted to specialise in delicious, luxurious seafood accessible to all. The rest is history. Mama Liza is the pillar of the Lazarides family.

Over the years, she was the driving force behind her sons, washing and ironing their tablecloths and went on to bake desserts and make the tarama and tzatziki. These products are still supplied by her today in Ocean Baskets' Gauteng stores.

Mama Liza still makes the baklava dessert for the franchised stores across Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Bloemfontein and other stores, all from her Pretoria kitchen.

Although her kitchen has been equipped with industrial equipment, the now 90-year-old still makes the products by hand, with her team of seven ladies who have been with her for 20 years.

Her business not only supplies the seafood restaurants, but also supplies small bakeries and she still has a fan base of individuals who buy freshly made Greek meals, biscuits and baklava.

Her passion didn’t go unnoticed. Her sons, Fats and George Lazarides, watched her transform simple ingredients into family feasts, witnessing the magic that happened when people gathered around their table.

Her meals were communal, often stretching to include friends and neighbours, with laughter and conversation the essential accompaniments. This atmosphere of openness and sharing inspired Fats and George, who dreamed of one day bringing the experience to others. It was from these shared meals around Mama Liza’s table that the first seeds of Ocean Basket were sown.

seanne.rall@iol.co.za

IOL