Fiona Galea Debono
More Maltese cuisine please – de Marco
Restaurants are being urged to offer more local, authentic cuisine. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi
Tourists visit Malta looking for authentic, local cuisine, but they are not being catered for, Tourism Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco has warned restaurateurs.
There are no exact statistics on the number of restaurants serving Maltese fare, but going by the Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants, Dr de Marco indicated 22 – a “worrying” figure when considering there are over 1,200 licensed establishments and 55 Chinese restaurants.
Addressing the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association seminar at the Corinthia Palace Hotel, he told restaurateurs they were not realising the potential and importance of traditional food.
He conceded that schemes were needed to encourage the industry to be innovative and develop local cuisine, but urged restaurateurs to rise to the challenge of “revolutionising” traditional dishes to improve the standard.
They should consider their menus in the light of the culinary experiences they themselves sought when on holiday, he said, insisting that eating out was not a secondary experience for tourists, and that independent travellers – the majority these days – were keen on authentic cuisine, part of the culture.
Dr de Marco expressed the concern that many Institute of Tourism Studies students were gaining work experience in the UK and not in other countries that represented the profile of tourists visiting Malta.
He doubted how much restaurateurs knew their foreign clients, describing today’s tourists as “different from yesterday and more discerning”.
Dr de Marco was worried they have not realised the market has changed, questioning how many restaurants that catered for foreigners were considering their origin and studying the arrivals statistics that showed the tourists of three years ago were not the same as today’s.
The UK was the primary market, but second were the Italians – not Germans – and these had different tastes, which could not be addressed by simply translating menus. Instead, he urged, an effort had to be made to learn their eating habits.
“We have 60,000 Spanish visitors, who do not eat before 10 p.m., and we tell them: kitchen closed! We need to adapt, and if we are rigid, we are basically telling them not to come back!”
The case for adapting to tourists’ needs comes from the statistics: restaurants seem to have taken a substantial share of a €180 million increase in spending seen in the first 10 months of this year.
The €1 billion spent by tourists during this period marked a growth of €180 million over the same period last year, and the category that includes restaurants marked the largest increase of over €90 million.
“I do not think all that went to museums and excursions, which means there is work for those who want it,” Dr de Marco said.
However, he also expressed concern about the fall in positive ratings on value for money and variety over previous years, according to recent satisfaction surveys.
Adapting to changes in tourism was not a choice, but essential for the sector to advance, he insisted.
The association has launched the MHRA Recommended scheme for restaurants to help raise standards in what was considered a vital area.
The voluntary scheme asks restaurateurs to undergo an assessment, and the label achieved once the “test” is passed would place the establishment “a cut above the rest”.
MHRA president George Micallef expressed concern about the negative public perception of value for money in restaurants, saying it needed to be addressed.
Growing competition, decreasing profitability and the increase in operating costs were the challenges for the catering sector, which depended largely on weekend business.
Listing its weaknesses, Mr Micallef mentioned the British influence in the cuisine; the fact that service was not consistently good; and the lack of use of IT.
Statistical information to take precise decisions was insufficient and policy direction for the sector was also lacking, he said.
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smifsud
Dec 10th 2010, 01:03
Dr de Marco you are to be commended sir for your tenacity to improve the product for the better of tourism and Malta....the only PN Minister that is trying to do good for the country ...why not try to intruduce innovation and creativity to the Maltese cuisine , refine it and market it well with a good product at the end with fine service ...why not try to introduce the "sunday dinner concept " like the Patata il forn bil basal and laham il forn or Qarabali Mimli or Bragoli and Ross il forn la Maltija and to add to this why not Minestra or Hut tajjeb il forn ....for desserts u have an array of amazing fruits that grow on the islands that a far better then anywhere else ...the Tomatoes are the best in the world i believe ...i can go on and go on ...Mr deMarco i hope you are reading this i want the job to help you achieve your goal and to help Malta out by doing educational sessions to your Restaurant owners ...Call me ....
l fenech
Dec 9th 2010, 20:36
Burger & Chips.
Michael Scicluna
Dec 9th 2010, 18:10
PART THREE:
Why not start by setting an example and serve traditional Maltese Food on the National Airline. Like Maltese Bread, Rikotta Cheese, Maltese Sausage, bring back the two Galletti, with some Gbejnit, and Bigilla, and I leave the rest to the experts to find out what could be served on Air Malta food trays.
Michael Scicluna
Dec 9th 2010, 18:01
PART TWO: My experience with wine lists most times is lack of consistency on what is in stock and the brands and country of origin. As for the service there it is much to be desired. How can you in a five star restaurant wait 40 minutes between the first course and the main course, and now one notices it until you bring it to someone’s attention, to me it is couldn’t careless attitude. It is good to meet and talk but let’s have some express action please.
Michael Scicluna
Dec 9th 2010, 18:00
PART ONE:It is good signs to hear that Tourism is on the increase for this year. The Hon Dr Mario Demarco is very correct in urging Hotel and Catering establishments to promote Maltese Cuisine, but it seems that he is not aware that in the 70's to the late 80's it was compulsory that Hotels in there Set menus include Maltese dishes choices and Restaurants should have Maltese dishes included in there menus. I am sure that those present in the meeting are aware of this. A standard should also be reached on the preparations of Maltese Cuisine Dishes. When I go out for a Fenkata, the textures of the fried Rabbit vary from one place to another. The last time I had it in an authentic restaurant in Gozo I am certain that the fried Rabbit in Garlic was cooked in the oven and not fried at all. The issue of accompanying vegetables has to be upgraded from the concept of everything comes with French Fries and Salad. The concept of Silver service needs to be brought back in the higher class Establishments.
John M. Grima
Dec 9th 2010, 16:18
You are right again Sur De Marco. What in God's name make these restaurant owners think that tourists want to eat such rubbish as: white sliced bread, (better known ouside of Malta, as: WHITE, SLICED STYRAPHOME.), or chips, as a side dish, hamburgers, or even beef stake......... and covered with Majo? Ugh!
The majority of starngers wants WHOLE FOOD. (Oh sure. American parents with children and teenaagers on a very limited budget, visiting Malta for the first time, might order the kids, 'hamburgers and french frys.' because its fast and a sure hit with western kids.). No. tourists want value for their hard earned money. Same as the native people want. And, believe or not, people all over the world are becoming very health-conscious. Especially cncerning food. Keep up the good work Mr. De Marco.
Phil Humphries
Dec 9th 2010, 13:04
Once again, Dr Mario de Marco, the only senior PN politician worthy of his position, is absolutely right. If only he could persuade others in his party that tourists cannot be taken for granted (or ripped-off with impunity) and that Malta's unique heritage should be retained and actively promoted in order to attract the cultured tourists this island economy needs now more than ever before.
Having promoted Malta abroad for more than 30 years, I know that modern, sophisticated (and higher spending) visitors reasonably expect to find authentic Maltese dishes, made from local ingredients, in authentic Maltese restaurants (not those staged to suit the imagined tourist taste). They come here to experience the real Malta and expect to find something different from anywhere else they have visited. Rather than hiding the best local cuisine in the home, I believe that it should be more widely available for vistors to try, together with the fine local wines, and above all else, it should be served with pride.
Karl Abela
Dec 9th 2010, 15:58
Once again you somehow always take the opportunity to take a blast at the government...
What's the government and 'the others in his party' got to do with Maltese cuisine?
It's people like you who promote Malta that need to be more creative and offer authentic ideas to promote our culture. What are you expecting? That the governments spoon feeds you?
heh give us a break.
Lee Micallef
Dec 9th 2010, 12:47
Could not agree with Mr De Marco more
Many more restaurants should be serving traditional maltese food instead of the usual "fast food" dross. Maltese food is delicious and there is such an array of different dishes to cater for every persons taste .
Even In the Uk where its seems they have a restaurant for every other country in the world i could not find one Maltese restaurant !! and this is surprising given the numbers of british people that come to visit the islands .
If i had the financial backing id certainly consider being the first to open a Maltese retsuarant in the Uk ....so who ever has ..come on you know it makes sense ! ;0)
C Cassar
Dec 9th 2010, 10:57
Most restaurants in Malta put themselves and their employees first, ahead of any customers - that is very clear. Asking the management of most restaurants and cafes to analyse visitor statistics is quite laughable since they are simply not interested, aren't educated enough and don't have the IQ to see this information as beneficial to their business. They only think about tomorrow or at the most next week - not next year or anything close to a 5 year plan.
Most menus are made up of the easiest food to prepare (or have pre-prepared), again for the convenience of the establshment, not their customers. Unfortunately, one of the biggest problems is the lack of innovation (including serving local traditional food) with the usual "chips" with everything, a relic from the British occupation of Malta.
There are still far to many Maltese only interested in fast food, pizza, cakes and pies which has been confirmed by the recent article on the huge obesity problem in Malta.
What's needed is a certification for restaurants that serve excellent and healthy traditional Maltese dishes with well documented and traceable ingredients, perhaps all bein organic.