When red means go ahead, eat me

If you have a soft spot for strawberries and you fall most willingly to the fragrance and exquisite taste of the delicious red fruit, enjoy: Mġarr will be hosting its second Strawberry Fair on Sunday.

"Last year about 15,000 kilos of strawberries were sold at the fair which is more than the total amount of the fruit that gets taken to the Pitkali, the vegetable and fruit market, on a busy day," Mġarr mayor Paul Vella, said.

The culinary feast starts at about 11.30 a.m. and runs till 5.30 p.m.

One will be able to buy boxes of the fruit freshly harvested and for those with a sweet tooth, there will be muffins, cakes, trifles and ice cream among other goodies made of strawberries.

"Last year we had two chefs who prepared food featuring the fruit but we were inundated for most of the time with the high demand. On Sunday we will have three chefs who hail from Mġarr and form part of the staff of the Radisson SAS Golden Sands and who, I hope, will be able to keep things flowing, meeting the requests of clients. Food featuring the fruit of the fair will be prepared there and then," Mr Vella added.

The farmers who will be bringing their produce to the parvis of the Mġarr church, where this feast will be held, will pass on part of their proceeds to the conservation of the village church.

The fair is organised by the Mġarr local council and the Koperattiva Tal-Bdiewa ta' l-Imġarr.

According to Mr Vella, members of the cooperative import strawberry plants from Italy and Spain and every year they check international fairs to see what's new on the market, always on the lookout to grow a tastier fruit.