Why bajtra? 🌵

Have you ever been put on the spot and asked why you do what you do? Think about it for a second, is there one solid answer? I don’t think so, well… in the realm of the arts, I don’t think it’s entirely possible to pinpoint why you create your art. If there were to be one reasonable answer, it might be based on the fact that artists can’t resist the call of their craft–it’s like a constant beckoning luring you back to the ‘dark’ side. 

A Decade of Devotion to Malta’s Gastronomy

If I have learned anything in my 10 years of navigating the restaurant industry in Malta and Gozo, it’s that we have an insatiable collection of Chefs amongst us, some of which I have been fixated on from the moment they opened their doors, and others who have solidly impressed in recent years or months. There’s no doubt that Chefdom in Malta is thriving and that it has been making its mark on the Culinary Culture of Malta; this is where I come in.

bajtra: we'll peel through a few thorns, but the result is so, so rewarding

Hi, I’m Kristina, bajtra is my brain-child and my sole aim here is to shine the brightest beacon of light on the Culinary Artists of this generation. My goal for the industry is to create a climate of consistency, both in the kitchens and for the restaurants. Diners should always expect the ultimate experience from the restaurants celebrated here on bajtra. On the other side of the coin, the restaurants celebrated here should also be met with a consistent flow of patrons–because with bajtra, genuinity and honesty always prevail, so why not support the champions of our gastronomy?

From Catalogue to Culture: Why bajtra Documents

This tear is dedicated to the restaurants that I wish I could have catalogued, frequented and celebrated through bajtra; namely The Lord Nelson, The Arches and others I've only heard tales of.

Trained in the chronological consistencies of the arts, my brain is programmed to not only appreciate the aesthetics of the culinary arts, but also to categorise and catalogue every worthy morsel that comes out of our Chef’s kitchens, preserving our culinary heritage and gastronomic significance from 2025 and beyond. Throughout the years, we have failed to document and track the culinary arts in Malta and Gozo, we’ve lost quite a fair amount of historic celebration points, seeing grand restaurants close down, their magical Chefs never to be cemented in our history. 

Imagine a future where every effort of Malta’s celebrated restaurants and Chefs was documented to look back on in years to come–wouldn’t it be great to return to the culinary achievements of our little islands? I can honestly say that my craft would have been made a lot easier if I had some documents to refer back to. The Chefs of today are determined to share this knowledge and luckily, I have inherited a substantial amount of information from the collection of Chefs I conflab with on a weekly basis. Every detail they share is a sacred piece of the puzzle and boy am I glad they’re an open book with this information. 

There’s nothing quite like sitting in a Chef’s kitchen, watching them work and asking random questions about the industry–hearing stories of mishaps, stories of successes, stories of absolute foolery and so many other nuggets of information that make my professional path worth every struggle 🙏 

I do what I do to create harmony in the culinary industry. I’ve been as dedicated and invested in Malta and Gozo’s culinary industry as can be, and today, officially, with the backing of the Malta Tourism Authority, bajtra can exist in its full fruition, guns a blazin’, ready to give the industry the most official cheerleader they can even imagine. 

Just writing this is giving me goosebumps, you know that ‘tax-xewk’ moment we spoke about in the previous blog… bajtra is here to remind you that our experiences in life are what we make them. Welcome to bajtra, Malta & Gozo’s culinary coven.