Arthur & Sons Bakery and Confectionery was the last remaining traditional bakery in Birzebbuga. Apart from being a well-respected business in the community, which helped various organisations throughout the years, the bakery became a community hub where neighbours met when buying their daily bread.

Just last week, the bakery shocked the community after announcing that it would be closing its doors for good after 40 years in business. Now, the welcoming shop that once greeted many locals will be transformed into another business.

One week after closing the chapter for good, the youngest brother of the three, Mark Micallef, tells WhosWho.mt that deciding to close was a very difficult decision.

Sharing his personal perspective, he recounted that working 16 hours a day, every day, on his feet took a toll on him physically. Furthermore, the bakery required constant attention, and he had no flexibility to run errands or meet other commitments.

“And my brothers were getting older too. My eldest brother reached his retirement age, the other was close behind and for me it was difficult to keep going,” Mark shares.

Asked whether it was the family dream to open a bakery, Mark noted that his father, Arthur had previously delved into other business prospects, including a restaurant, but in 1984 had decided to open a bakery.

Although working in a family business can sometimes be difficult, looking back Mark notes that working with his brothers was amazing.

“My father retired in the 90s and thereafter it was us brothers who worked in the bakery. It was a long journey throughout, but we had the help of our mother, who kept coming to the bakery every day up until COVID-19,” he recounts.

Many were saddened by the fact that yet another genuine product, handcrafted bread, was no longer available on the market. However, living life as a baker is a no small commitment not to mention physically challenging. In fact, he attributes the slow annihilation of traditional bakeries on the island to this.

“We were the last remaining bakery out of four in Birzebbuga. Nowadays it’s difficult to find people who are willing to work in this sector,” he comments.

Mark continues, saying that being a baker and having your own business requires putting a lot of work in during the weekends, public holidays and working long hours.

“This is something that not many people, especially the younger generation, wish to pursue. There isn’t a lot of commitment anymore and our craft is nearing its end,” he adds.

Furthermore, he noted that even the children in the family, now that they have grown up, have chosen their own line of work and decided not to continue working at the bakery.

Looking ahead, Mark noted that he is still not sure what the future looks like, at the age of 55 he tells WhosWho.mt that he is “yet to decide on what comes next.”

The same sentiment about industry challenges was also shared by local baker Matthew Mallia, the Maltese national that owns a bakery in Edinburgh.

In an interview, Mr Mallia had commented that while the situation is the complete opposite in England, Malta is not same.

He believes that Malta isn’t ready for artisanal producers to make a comeback, and he isn’t sure it would ever be.

At the time he said that “artisanal baking can’t be driven by money; we don’t make any real money. [Bakers] exist to further their craft, feed the community and provide enjoyment. Every profit is invested back into the business or community.”