It is said that cocoa beans were kept in Ħamrun’s “tas-samra” neighborhood when the Knights of St. John were in Malta. To boot, one of the few stores in Malta that exclusively sells and supplies chocolate is located in Ħamrun, manufacturing the traditional chocolate Unica 1658, which was created using Gianfranceso Buonamico’s original recipe. The chocolate is still made with the same components and craftsmanship to this day! Since then, Ħamrun has been the town most closely linked with chocolate.

Those who attend the festival this year will be met with streets lined with stalls offering an incredible selection of chocolate goods produced by some of Malta’s top chocolatiers! Plus, you can observe professional chefs, bakers and chocolate makers as they demonstrate chocolate creations live – they’ll even let you try them out yourself! And if  chocolate doesn’t suit your fancy, renowned ice cream maker Mario Attard Skutu has something special in store.

What’s more, the iconic chocolate sculptures will return once again. The main sculpture will be created in the image of an unknown character, whoever guesses which character pastry chef Tiziano Cassar and his team have chosen could win a €20 voucher courtesy of Primavera Caterers. Guesses will not be accepted any later than Friday 6 October.

As the world becomes more globalised, consumers are becoming more conscious of their food’s origins and the treatment of the workers who produce it. The Ħamrun Chocolate Festival emphasizes fair trade and understanding the origins of our chocolate, in addition to celebrating everything that chocolate has to offer. Not only is it great to see traditions live on for centuries and be transformed through generations, but it’s great to see ethical developments!

The festival starts at 7 pm and ends at midnight – you won’t want to miss out.

See you there!