Sphinx Owner: ‘Inflation Means Pastizzi Now Cost 50c – And They Could Rise To 60c Soon’
Pastizzi may be the staple of Malta’s most affordable food items, but with the island’s pastizzara raising the price for the second time in four years, times are seriously changing for the humble cheesecake.
“We’ve had to raise the price from 40c to 50c – and it might rise even more,” Sphinx owner Vinu Muscat told Lovin Malta a day after the price rise.
“And I expect it to keep happening – just this week, we are hearing that flour will rise by 12.5%. That’s going to be a major problem.”
“In my entire time in business, I’ve never seen this increase in price in stock items,” he continued. “Take ricotta; it would go up by 5c/10c over six months, but then after a season – say after Christmas – they’d go back down.”
“But now, prices aren’t going down – chicken went up by the kilo, butter as well…”
With scores of outlets across the island, Sphinx has seen its costs rising over the last few months and years.
“And it’s an ongoing thing – the prices keep rising. We’ve been dealing with this week in and week out, having to deal with extra costs of hundreds of euro when compared to the week before, costs we have been trying to write off, but cannot any longer.”
Take a deep dive into the hidden world of the pastizzara in My Life Is Pastizzi
Between inflation, COVID-19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Muscat is under no illusions as to when costs may begin to return to normal – if ever.
As to the cost rise, Muscat said his pastizzi patrons didn’t complain about it as they understood the situation. Thought the price of pastizzi hadn’t risen for nigh on decades, the last few years has put a change to that.
“This was a comfort food that you could buy for cheap,” he said. “With €1.20 you could buy three pastizzi, and you’ll get full up. Now with €1, you just buy two… and that’s for now.”
“If the flour increases again, we will have to make them 60c.”
Muscat was uncertain about the future, especially with a lack of global and local initiatives aimed at curbing rising costs.
“What I’m really worried about is the bigger picture, not just pastizzi – before, you would go to a grocer and where you’d spend €20, now you spend €35 – and that’s not a small jump.”
“Anyone who had extra money, some disposable income, is now spending it on basics at the shop… it’s a real shame.”
Before pastizzi become unattainable, check out our tour of the island’s incredible assortment of pastizzeria:
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