Nikki Rose is a Greek American professional chef, writer and seminar director living in Crete. She is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and worked in fine dining in the USA and France. Chef Rose has published over 100 articles and contributed to books, TV and radio programs focusing on cuisine, heritage preservation and sustainable tourism.

Nikki is founder of Crete's Culinary Sanctuaries, an award-winning program for best practices in Responsible Travel. Rose formed CCS in 1997 to help provide tangible support to residents working on action programs to protect their cultural and natural heritage. CCS organizes a range of dynamic seminars for the public and academic institutions.

Rose/CCS has received numerous awards from National Geographic, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, the UN-World Tourism Forum for Peace and Sustainable Development, WTTC, and is featured in National Geographic, NPR, New York Times and Lonely Planet. Rose frequently speaks at international tourism conferences and is an adviser for sustainable tourism/culinary heritage projects around the world. Rose’s new book, “Crete: The Roots of the Mediterranean Diet,“ highlights over 14 years of her experience in Crete.