The heat from the oven when taking the bread out, the smell of freshly brewed coffee and the cracking sound of a croissant. Sounds like a dream in the morning, right? Perhaps out of the challenges that come along when opening a bakery, these one-of-a-kind experiences are some of the perks of owning such a business, apart from all the times spent testing new recipes.  

WhosWho.mt reached out to Matthew Mallia, the Maltese national, living in Edinburgh and owner of Hobz, a bakery situated in Leith Walk. Recently Hobz celebrated its one-year anniversary, an impressive milestone amidst the hurdles of owning a bakery. Now, Mr Mallia took WhosWho.mt on a journey that started from humble beginnings and evolved towards having a successful business.

‘My first introduction to leavened doughs was making pizza with my dad in a wood-fired oven’

In a previous interview, Mr Mallia stated that his passion for baking started early on, by experimenting in the kitchen with his parents.

“We mostly made basic cakes or Christmas treats like mince pies, nothing fancy,” Mr Mallia says. He adds that he has fond memories of enjoying his mum’s birthday cakes made with, none other than the old-fashioned Betty Crocker chocolate. Nonetheless, his baking didn’t stop at that. In fact, his first experience with leavened doughs was with his father, when making pizza in a wood-fired oven.

But what transformed simple pizzas into a fully up and running bakery 2,612 kilometres away? Mr Mallia’s dream was far off from becoming a bakery owner, it was his academia that led him to England in the first place. He read for a Masters in British Imperial History in Oxford, and eventually started his PhD in Edinburgh.

Putting the studies aside, Mr Mallia started making bread in his flat and only sold it once a week. “I had no real intention of opening an actual bakery, Hobz was just an escape from writing a PhD,” he recalls.

The delicious Pain au Chocolat

Now with multiple scrumptious goods being sold on the daily, Mr Mallia says that the most popular item is the double baked Almod Pain au Chocolat. “Lots of other bakeries also make something similar, but everyone says ours is the best in Edinburgh. Our standard Pain au Chocolat is the top seller though, maybe because we put three chocolate sticks instead of the usual two,” he says cheekily.

‘Some people have asked us where the name comes from, and we explain that it means bread in Maltese’

To Maltese readers, the name of the bakery needs no explanation, and many took a liking to the name, especially since it is situated so far away. Asked whether they receive any feedback from locals about the name, he says that some do ask about its meaning and origin. “And we explain that it means bread in Maltese.”

However, don’t let the name fool you. Despite the Maltese flare, the bakery is 100 per cent through and through “not Maltese.” We all know the saying about assuming, and in this case, assumptions resulted in Matthew Mallia being flooded with requests for pastizzi in Scotland.

“We’ve had Maltese people come into the bakery who first gawk at me, then demand either Maltese bread, pastizzi or anything other than the carefully produced election of bread and pastries we offer… This has been overwhelming,” he explains.

“Hobz isn’t just anyone’s bakery, it’s ours, and we work too hard for people to demand we make certain items,” Mr Mallia adds.

Nevertheless, WhosWho.mt asked whether the bakery transmits its Maltese roots into the baked goods and pastries, and the simple reply is that the baking evolved to include other sources of inspiration.

'Sesame is big in Maltese baking, and we use a lot of it at Hobz'

“Our goal is to make good food, whether that’s from Malta or not. However, we do occasionally make traditional Maltese goods; ‘figolli, zeppoli and hobz biz-zejt.’ We make our interpretation of ‘ftajjar’ everyday too. Sesame is big in Maltese baking, and we use a lot of it at Hobz. Equally, however, we’re also inspired by other baking traditions, namely Danish and British,” Mr Mallia clarified.

‘Most people don’t understand how expensive running a bakery is… Margins are razor thin’

Behind the flour-dusted aprons and warm smiles, there lies a profession fraught with numerous challenges. From early morning risings to the relentless pursuit of perfection in each bite, the world of baking is far from that presented in a Hallmark Christmas movie.

Mr Mallia remarks that most people do not understand how expensive running a bakery is. Margins are razor thin, equipment costs tens of thousands of pounds, and the energy required to heat ovens, or power or refrigeration and extraction systems “is massive, resulting in very expensive bills.”

“A minor maintenance job can cost us a whole day’s earnings. Keeping on top of cash flow is a never-ending challenge. However, we are lucky to have been constantly busy since we opened, and we are only getting busier,” he adds.

On a more positive note, he says that 99.9 per cent of their customers are “super lovely” and the bakery has a strong set of regulars. Despite so, only the occasional 0.1 per cent “who will never be pleased, [that] can ruin [the] day.” Apart from that he his believes that every small business owner that cares about what they do will inevitably focus on the one negative experience and not the 100 great ones.

‘Malta isn’t ready for artisanal producers to make a comeback, and i’m not sure it ever will be’

It doesn’t take much to notice that local artisanal bakers across the island, have almost disappeared. Nowadays, most bread is mass produced and there aren’t many citizens in Malta who are willing to work the craft. But the situation is completely different in Edinburgh and the UK in general.

“There are so many other bakeries in the city that do amazing stuff, always pushing themselves to produce better bread and pastries and improve their hospitality game. We’ve become friends with a number of other bakeries in Edinburgh, and we love to support each other,” Mr Mallia comments.

He adds that even though in Edinburgh artisanal baking is a flourishing and beautiful industry, in Malta it is not the same. He believes that Malta isn’t ready for artisanal producers to make a comeback, and he’s not sure it ever will be.

“Artisanal baking can’t be driven by money; we don’t make any real money. We exist to further our craft, feed our community and provide enjoyment. Every profit is invested back into the business or our community,” he remarks.

Maltese business, he states, is “obsessed” with quick expansion. “The current mentality is too short sighted and focused on making money quickly to build sustainable community and care for the product.”

Asked whether he would ever consider expanding his business to Malta, he promptly replied with a no, as Hobz “will always be a UK business.”

He goes on to add that a business like Hobz cannot succeed in Malta and that over-expansion is the enemy. So much so that, even now, he is very wary of opening more than one location in Edinburgh. “We will hopefully move to a larger space eventually, but we will only operate one bakery. Over-expansion is the surest rout to mediocrity, poor quality and ultimately, failure.”

‘Take the leap and do it’

And finally, as a business owner whose bakery is looking ahead to a promising future, WhosWho.mt asked about whether he had any advice for other Maltese nationals, looking to start a business abroad.

He starts of by saying that if there is anyone that has the means to do so, they should take the leap and do it, even if they live abroad for a few months or years. “Your life will be infinitely better; I have no hope Malta will ever leave the road to become a concrete jungle.” Having said that, he also points out that this comes with its own repercussions because the move can feel lonely and make one feel homesick.

“Develop your niche, take things slow, and don’t try to do too much at once,” he suggests. Mr Mallia also comments on the fact that he wishes that he had trained in more kitchens or bakeries before opening Hobz, since most of his practical knowledge about running a bakery came through mistakes.

“Whatever industry you’re in, try to have a bit more experience than I did, before going alone,” Matthew Mallia concluded.