WATCH: The History Of The Ħamrun Kiosk And The Cacciottolo Family That Run It
In the heart of Ħamrun’s main pjazza lies a kiosk that’s become a staple of the town after serving hungry folks for decades.
You may recognise his face from the logo on the side of Alfred’s, commonly known as Ħamrun Kiosk, but Alfred Cacciottolo – Nannu Freddie to his loved ones – has been working hard to develop his once-small room into the large, stocked kiosk it is today.
Manned by several people, and offering all types of foods from ftajjar to spare ribs to vegan lasagna, Ħamrun Kiosk’s story isn’t an overnight success, but decades of focused passion for food and friendly service.
“We started on the other side, near the police station. We were in the middle of the road at that time, and when we left they ended up widening the road, in 1975. We were with the kiosk before, but when we applied to change it they told us to move this side and we got permission to build here.
An earlier version of the famous kiosk
In a new interview featured in Lovin Streats, Alfred recounted how his small kiosk developed over the years to become the mainstay it is today.
“In 1981, we came to this side with an aluminium kiosk,” he said. “Then, in 1997, when they fixed up the pjazza, we upgraded again to a wooden kiosk.”
“Now, in 2017, we applied again to fix it up and we got permission so we can work better.”
However, in recent years, keen-eyed foodies might have recognised Alfred’s logo appearing in Naxxar.
“Six years ago we decided to open a cafeteria in Ħamrun, and last year we opened another in Naxxar, and we started from there… you always have to try to improve, right?” Alfred smiled.
And when asked what his favourite dish is from his kiosk, Alfred just laughed: “I think everything, no? But at the moment, spare ribs with BBQ sauce are my favourite.”
So you have it from the man himself – if you’re ever in Ħamrun and looking for an affordable, delicious meal cooked with passion, pass by the Ħamrun Kiosk and ask for Nannu Freddie.
Check out the full Lovin Streats’ tour of the popular kiosk in the latest episode below:
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