A Rabat restaurant owner has slammed a rise in food prices and has questioned whether he can continue using local Maltese products in his future menus.

‘Chef patron’ Malcolm Bartolo, owner of Townhouse no3 – located in a picturesque Rabat alleyway – vented his discontent about the rising costs of local ingredients – most notably butter.

His restaurant prides itself in using local produce to maximise the freshness of his menu offerings for locals and tourists alike.

“The rising costs of food is now unsustainable – more so for businesses and restaurants that choose to use local products,” he said.

“I’m not looking two weeks down the line, I’m concerned about what’s going to happen next year. Over Christmas time I think we’ll see a drop across the board in restaurant visits compared to the non-Covid years”.

Bartolo used butter as an example of the spiralling costs of ingredients. Nearly six weeks ago the cost of butter was approximately €95 (for the amount he purchases). Today, it’s over €30 more expensive at a whopping €125.

Restaurant and business owners are facing a winter of discontent with food price rises linked to the war in Ukraine – causing global shortages of several products produced in the region.

Bartolo believes that customers are yet to fully understand the gravity of the situation.

“Customers come in and are now more price-conscious. They’re comparing restaurant prices to what they’d pay in the butchers. Some people forget that it’s not just food prices that have risen”.

“The costs for local farmers have also risen – although they receive small subsidies from the government. That in-turn means we as restaurateurs are paying the price too. Another example is the price of toilet roll which has doubled, as has hand-soap”.

When asked whether the government could do more to assist restaurant owners, Bartolo jokingly said: “The government is subsidising much more than we realise, the only other thing left to subsidise is the air we breathe”.

Bartolo is however concerned about the strain this will put on customers over the coming months and years.

“We don’t only think about our own back pocket, we’re also worried about the increasing cost of living for our own staff-members whilst also trying to keep the prices as low as we can for customers”.

The food price crisis continues and there’s still staff shortages across Malta. The question is when will prices stabilise so that restaurateurs can operate their businesses sustainably.

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