Bakery turned into a unique tourism attraction in Malta

Hey Merill Fans!

We're proud to be the first to launch the official promo of the artisan bakery now open in Valletta. Mr. Carmelo Debono, also known as Nenu, had been dreaming about this project for many years. His main concern was that the knowledge about traditional local bread and recipes was being lost over time. The old bakery that suited this project, was in ruins when Nenu stepped into it for the first time. No one thought that it would have been converted into such an attraction three years later. 

The stone oven is now fully functional, and is complemented with a cosy restaurant, museum, and a state of the art kitchen to support the Head Chef Joseph Magri and his team. The menu has been carefully designed to ensure that all the ftiras would bring about a fantastic culinary experience to all those who experience it.  

The Hon. Minister Mario De Marco officially inaugurated the venue today, together with his Excellency Fra. Paul Cremona OP. The Ministers speech, outlined the importance of sustainable tourism and the pride all the Maltese people have towards bread, mostly Il-Hobza Maltija. Dr. De Marco also mentioned the importance of EU funding, since projects can be tailor made to Malta's specific needs. 

Anyone who feels like a quick snack, lunch or dinner, can walk to "Nenu the Artisan Baker", and order one of the Ftiras full of delicious local ingredients. While the ftira is being baked, one can enjoy a video relating the history of Maltese bread and Nenu's career in baking. Furthermore, an interactive experience can also be booked for groups who wish to enjoy the actual making of the ftira!

For enquiries about the "Ftira Interactive Experience", drop us a line on info@merillecotours.com   

Happy New Year from Merill Eco Tours!

This will be our last blog article for 2011! Oh what a year!

Merill Eco Tours will soon be a year old and we're so proud of the way it's been growing so far.

It's nice to look back at what we have been up to this year. We started off the venture and the year with the Press Launch which took place on the 12th of January. It was raining cats and dogs before and during the presentation, but still a nice crowd of around 50 attended the launch. Hon. Dr Mario De Marco officially inaugurated Merill Eco Tours as the first licensed ecotourism venture operating in the Maltese Islands.
(Click here to view the clips of the TV coverage; TVM and NET TV.)

Following the launch we immediately started cooperating with various tour operators and local DMCs to fine-tune our eco and agri tours, which are offered both for tourists and locals. The exclusive locations, together with the delicious products enjoyed during the tours, have been an asset to put forward a positive and attractive image of Malta as a rural tourism destination.

Our farmers have been kept very busy producing local products and other delicacies for our guests. Along the year we also branded a range of traditional processed products which were brought direct from the farmers and promoted at a number of different occasions and venues. In September we were also pleased to discover that our honey was featured in an official EU publication, amongst many other food products from all around Europe.

Traditional food products from all EU Countries

Sea Salt mini jars as souvenirs

To raise awareness about the richness of the Maltese rural areas, we are now producing short video clips, which we named '90 eco seconds', capturing the very best scenes and activities in local villages. Our first clip features Mgarr, which is truly an agricultural hub of the Maltese Islands.

We sincerely wish a prosperous new year to all our fans all around the world, especially to our dear Maltese expats who follow us regularly. Our special thanks go to our families and friends as well as all our business partners who have been part of this amazing journey.

Lots of eco wishes from Jeanette and Christian!