Our Story

A Chance Encounter

In 2013, I met Joe Camilleri, who owned Malta Tiles at the time. While we were talking, he explained that there was no one in his family who wanted to take over the business and continue the craft.

By then, many of Malta's traditional tile factories had already closed, and I realised that Malta Tiles could easily face the same fate. Without someone to take it forward, there was a real possibility that the workshop would close and another part of Malta's tile-making tradition would be lost.

Learning the Craft

Under Joe's guidance, I began learning the traditional process of making cement tiles by hand. He taught me how to work with the colours, moulds and original presses, as well as the techniques and small details that had been passed down through generations of tile makers.

I soon realised that I wasn't simply taking over a business. I was being entrusted with a craft, its knowledge and its history, passed from one family to another.

From One Family to Another

Eventually, I took over Malta Tiles, along with one of its original presses and a collection of handmade moulds, many of which had been used for generations.

Over the years, I began carefully restoring the moulds and presses from different families across the island and bringing old patterns back into production. Preserving these original tools and designs became an important part of keeping the traditional craft alive and ensuring it could continue for generations.

A New Generation

Today, the part that makes me proudest is that I'm no longer doing it alone.

My daughter Rebecca and my son Gabriel now work alongside me, with the support of our whole family. What I once learned from another family is now something I am able to pass on to my own children.

We are not simply making tiles. We are continuing a story that began long before us, and hopefully one that will continue long after us.