Summer is here, school is over, you dream of a sweet escape to Paris, but you didn’t book a ticket. Nothing to worry about – because you can still enjoy a Sunday à la Française in Malta.

A pleasant Sunday in France always starts with a good breakfast. A bakery is an important facet of life in France, and most French people stop by the boulangerie to get their freshly baked baguette or their morning croissant. To experience a boulangerie à la Française in Malta, let’s walk into Le Grenier à Pain Malta and meet Xavier Richard, manager, and Florian Deville, head of production, working in the bakery.

Tell us the story of Le Grenier à Pain: what made you decide to open a bakery in Malta?

France is known for its desire to excel in the field of gastronomy. La boulangerie (bakery) and la pâtisserie (pastry) are both pillars of French gastronomy. Recognised for its experience and quality, awarded twice ‘The Best Bakery of Malta of the year’ and ‘The Best Craft Bakery of Malta of the year’ and thus, having the honour to serve the French Presidency at the Elysée Palace, Le Grenier à Pain landed in Malta in February 2019, with the aim of bringing this French art de vivre to Malta. With Fre{n}sh (Balluta) being established in November 2014 in St Julian’s, and having the same passion of le Grenier à Pain, the merge was inevitable.

What is one of the most important aspects of running a bakery?

Customers are a big part of this amazing adventure. Our motivation was and still is, to plant and sow the seed of a transparent and honest quality within the bakery and pastry sector in Malta, and share the taste of France. For instance, we use pure butter Elle & Vire, which is one of the favourite dairy brands in France, on a daily basis for most of our recipes.

What pastries and breads would you suggest for a true French experience?

France has a wide variety of breads, viennoiseries, fine pastries and savoury snacks. The baguette is definitely a classic French people eat almost every day. On a lunch break, we would recommend a quiche lorraine, easy to eat and very tasty. And to indulge your sweet tooth, pick up a tartelette lemon meringue for dessert.

Bringing a taste of France is not your only concern. Could you tell us more about your anti-waste actions?

Using its social networks, the company launched the anti-waste bundle operation two years ago. If certain products remain on the shelves during closing time, food baskets are prepared and offered on Facebook at reduced prices (less 50 per cent). This gives consumers the opportunity to pick up their bundle even after closing time.

At the same time, the French bakery regularly raises awareness among its customers through campaigns in shops and at its retailers. The aim is to promote products that are sometimes less attractive but just as good by offering price reductions.

Sharing the taste of France

To go further, Le Grenier à Pain Malta even recycles its food waste. Breadcrumbs, cereal husks and stale bread that is not fit for sale is redistributed to poultry producers. Their chickens are fed healthy feed to produce quality meat. Even coffee grounds are redistributed to farmers as fertiliser for their plants.

Have you witnessed a demand for French bakeries in Malta?

With Fre{n}sh being the first foreign craft bakery in Malta, seven years later, Malta has seen an increase in craft bakeries. And to meet the rising needs of croissants and French bread in the island, we should be opening very soon our latest shop in Sliema, La Maison Française.

Art in Gozo

Very often, the logical continuation of a Sunday brunch in Paris is a visit to an art gallery.

Let’s take the fast ferry and head to Gozo where Charlotte Lombard is the curator and owner of Lazuli Art gallery.

Can you tell us more about the gallery?

I opened Lazuli Art in Triq Mons. Guzeppi Farrugia, Victoria seven years ago, and since then it has grown into a well-established art gallery. We recently launched a new location in the heart of Gozo, in the presence of Christophe Jean, first adviser to the French Ambassador in Malta. A large crowd of both locals and foreign residents gathered, happy to discover both the new space and the 2022 art collection.

What is the 2022 summer collection about?

Lazuli Art opened the 2022 summer collection with a showcase of distinctive and original metal work from Haiti, Zimbabwe and Madagascar, and from bronze masters in Burkina Faso, alongside Asian bronze work and Indian naïve art paintings. Actually, it is the first gallery dedicated to African art in Malta with this summer collection. In addition to contemporary artists from developing countries, Lazuli Art is also showing a selection of antique and traditional African art from the sub-Saharan region.

What do you wish to promote with this collection?

The ethos of Lazuli Art is the commitment to fair trade and the celebration of cultural diversity and integration. Fair trade is more than just trading; it demonstrates that greater justice in world trade is possible. It highlights the need for change in the rules and practices of conventional trade and profit-led, often exploitative, economic development, and shows how a successful business can also put people before profit.

As we buy everything upfront – our system is not commission-based – artists are given the possibility to build solid cashflow and thus to engage in more challenging art forms while guaranteeing stable employment to their teams.

Fair trade is also about being fair to both sides. The artist receives the price at which they value their work, and the patron purchases a unique work of art for an affordable price, as there are no traders or middle-men but only non-profit organisations or fair trade businesses.

Keeping well

After this walk, a relaxing time is much needed. The last stop of our stroll should definitely be at a spa. Meet Sophie Lachaud, manager of a French wellness salon in Victoria, Gozo.

What made you decide to open a wellness salon in Malta?

I was looking for a quiet place to create my wellness cocoon, and after a holiday in Malta, I found Gozo was the perfect place. In October 2019, I created my salon, L’instant Précieux (The precious moment). It’s an innovative concept, with a French brand of products, Altearah.

I offer body massages for adults and children, scrub sessions, or face treatments with a deep physical, emotional and energetic action. The care of the client is global and personalised.

I am happy and grateful for the welcome and interest that the Gozitans and Maltese have shown me. I am here to share my French knowledge with them, to help them discover new techniques and approaches to relaxing treatments. I use my 15 years of experience, my training, my travels, my feelings to pamper the person. I take the time for each person to adapt to their needs.

Did you encounter any difficulties regarding the decline in activity with the coronavirus pandemic?

Despite opening a few months before COVID-19, the company has managed to make its mark and grow slowly but surely. It is with this momentum that the third candle will be blown out on October 4.