Good and bad of the chocolate festival

Fresh from winning the Golden Star Award of the European Union for their project entitled From Carpineto Romano To Ħamrun – One Europe, thus becoming the first local council in Malta to win this prestigious award, the Ħamrun council has just organised another chocolate festival on the lines of the first held last year in the town, which was Malta’s first.

The festival included sculptors, painters, body painters and make-up artists using chocolate as their medium. Of particular mention was a 10 feet high by eight feet wide model of the façade of St Cajetan’s parish church made up of about 10 kilos of Belgian chocolate.

Another big model was that of a dinner room in actual size, 12 feet by eight feet, whose roof, floor and furniture, along with plates, forks, lantern, clock and chairs were all made of chocolate. Ice and chocolate were used together in another big model in the form of a seven-foot high jukebox. Dairy company Benna, situated in the very area of the festival, took part and had several products on sale connected with chocolate. There was also a cake competition held on the main stage while an attractive and unique exhibition was that showing Victorian era chocolate tins.

The programme was well organised. It included cooking shows with several types of food prepared with chocolate, demonstrations by teachers from the Institute of Tourism Studies and by a famed chocolatier from Belgium, a show by the re-enactment group In Guardia and exhibitions at the Hobbies Society Club and other places as well as a stage and a children’s play area.

On the other hand, the logistics need to be overhauled. Last year’s mistake was repeated, so that the large crowd in attendance was frustrated by the lack of space. The principal street leading to the actual festival was engulfed by big stands making the narrow street even narrower.

If the stands were placed in a wider area, such as the square behind the Immaculate Conception church, they would not create such an obstacle.

Also, Maitland Street should be incorporated in the venue because it would give an alternative route as would the addition of more streets around the Hobbies Society. Perhaps it would be a good idea to also incorporate the Little Sisters of the Poor Home, the Benna factory and the Dun Frans Camilleri Primary School in the venue. Stands should also be allocated to more streets and not crowded together.

There should also be more lights and decorations in the streets and trucks and vans pertaining to the owners of the stands should be parked away from the festival area.