After earning a master’s degree from Oxford and three years into a PhD, Matthew Mallia walked away from academia and decided to become a baker instead.

Now he is the proud owner of Edinburgh-based bakery HOBZ, feeling “busier than ever” but in work that he finds much more rewarding.

It was the pandemic that changed the 27-year-old’s course in life.

“I thought, what’s the point of research if it feels like the world is ending? So, I said, screw it, I’ll open a bakery,” he told Times of Malta.

Mallia’s childhood love for history had taken him to the University of Malta, to Oxford and, finally, to Edinburgh University, where he was pursuing a PhD in British Imperial History when the world went into lockdown in 2020.

Like many people at the time, Mallia embraced home baking and his love for bread had already been sparked by a book he had read on the subject and through working in several bakeries during his studies.

They all knew I was risking everything I had

At the same time, he was beginning to feel burnt out by a life of research.

The turning point came when he interned at the renowned HART Bakery, in Copenhagen, owned by Richard Hart, the former baker at the world-famous NOMA restaurant.

Armed with confidence and practical knowledge, Mallia opened up HOBZ in October 2022.

Matthew at work, which he describes as more difficult but more rewarding than a life of academia. Photo: Matthew Mallia

Back in his hometown of Swieqi, his family were concerned.

“I don’t think anyone thought the bakery would work out,” he recalled. “They all knew I was risking everything I had on it, and they urged me to finish the PhD rather than quit in the third year. In the end, they all came around to my plan.”

Earlier this month, the artisan bakery was highlighted by Conde Nast Traveller as being among the best bakeries in Edinburgh.

“I left academia thinking I wanted a life with less stress, and, now, I’m busier than ever but my work is much more rewarding,” he said.

While the bakery’s name means ‘bread’ in Maltese, Mallia is quick to clarify that HOBZ is not a traditional Maltese bakery.

“People come in expecting Maltese bread and pastizzi, which they do not find; instead, they find sourdough, pastries  and coffee,” he said. “We focus on real bread, as it was before industrialisation. Ironically, it’s similar to how Maltese bread used to be.”

HOBZ specialises in naturally fermented bread made primarily from UK-grown grains, often sourced from Scotland and freshly milled in-house.

However, Mallia has no plans to expand his bakery to Malta.

“Something like HOBZ could never work in Malta from a cultural, financial and personal standpoint,” he explained, adding that local flour sourcing and consumer habits in Malta are significant barriers. 

Matthew Mallia's bread is made from flour milled in-house. Photo: Matthew Mallia

He also has no interest in opening another HOBZ in Scotland, saying he has enough on his hands as it is.

Instead, his focus remains on exploring different types of bread and baking styles, alongside his team of eight.

“Maltese bread is great, one of the best, but there’s so much more out there to explore,” he said.

As for a return to life in academia, that door is firmly closed.

“I’m totally out of it now, and I feel that once you’re out of the fold, you’re not let back in (not that I want to get back in).

“Even if, at some point, the bakery doesn’t work, I’m sure I’ll be much happier doing something creative, making something with my hands, than being an academic.”