Foodies and cooking enthusiasts take note: the Mediterranean Culinary Academy (MCA) is soon to start an exciting portfolio of courses – at a brand-new location.
At this successful young Maltese start-up, anyone from culinary beginners to professional chefs can learn to prepare fresh and delicious dishes inspired by cuisines from across the Mediterranean, using local and sustainably sourced ingredients. The Academy’s latest array of upcoming courses and workshops includes brioche workshops, how to make traditional Maltese ravjul, sausage-making classes and a kids’ summer school.
“There is something for everyone at the MCA,” says Kurt Mifsud, passionate gastronome, and MCA founder. “After two years of our Junior Chef programme, we have completely revamped our summer school. Kids will have the opportunity to cook a variety of different dishes as well as visit farms, restaurant kitchens, bakeries, and olive groves. For adults, we have expanded our range and are running wine appreciation courses, baking workshops, butchery courses, and our new bestseller: our Lebanese Meze workshop.”
The new course portfolio builds upon another recent milestone for the MCA – a move from its kitchen-classroom in Valletta to its state-of-the-art site in the heart of Naxxar. This centralised space now brings all MCA operations under one roof, with two large teaching kitchens featuring some of the best cooking equipment available in Malta, an office and – opening later this year – a physical retail space to complement the Academy’s popular online shop.
“Our shop, which we hope to open in October, retails a range of equipment that we use in classes, as well as some of the finest local products on the island. We will also be selling snacks and high-quality nibbles, all of which will focus on our values of using local produce in new and interesting ways,” continues Mr Mifsud.
“In fact, the new courses, location and shop all revolve around the Academy’s core value of using fresh local products and produce. For the MCA, seasonality and sustainability is not a fad – it has been in our DNA from day one. We can’t wait to share with students just how tasty local fruit, vegetables, fish and meat can be.”
More information about the Mediterranean Culinary Academy and its upcoming courses is available at www.mcamalta.com.
