From dream to reality: Meet the creative mind behind Flora’s, Malta’s cutest tea room
When you find a great cafe, there’s absolutely no need to look anywhere else for a cup of Joe and a couple of sweet and savoury treats. Flora’s in Naxxar is one example. There are so many spots around the island but this little explosion of cuteness gives you the perfect backdrop to a working lunch, a spot of assignment-ing or even a quick catch up with friends over brunch.
Flora’s was brought to life by Dani von Brockdorff. Her flair for baking and innovative approach to running a business is what sets her apart from the rest. Oh, and her cakes are simply divine! Dani shares her journey, telling me how she kicked off the business. “I had no previous experience running or setting up a cafe, but I have always loved new challenges and it has definitely been one of my most rewarding experiences so far.” Yet, the warm and personalized experience each customer receives when stepping foot into the quaint cafe shows a heart-felt knowledge of people and hospitality.
“I have always dreamed of owning my own pretty cafe and I remember pretending to have one when I was a very little girl," she continues. "I also love designing interiors and I immediately saw huge potential in the space when I first saw it.” She further explains that the name of the cafe was drawn from her grandmother. “She was a big inspiration to me”, she adds. Can this get any cuter?
The journey from dream to reality was rather spontaneous for Dani, she explains, “I was working in marketing at a local media company and happened to come across a beautiful little space in Naxxar available to let.” She continues, “I had never seriously considered opening a cafe, but I fell in love with the place immediately and quickly visualised how I could turn it into the cafe of today. In just a few days, I put a very scrappy business plan together and decided to quit my job.” The rest is cupcake history!
But, let’s talk about the food on offer here. Well, there’s home-made cupcakes (made in-house) of every kind, tarts, crumbles, cakes, puddings, brownies and mousses. Phew! And, that’s just a smidgen of the sweet menu! The savoury selection is just as great: hearty soups, pies, chilli, canapes and a whole lot more. Their food has become so popular, outside catering has also become a frequent gig for Dani - especially for baby showers, birthday parties and private tea parties in general. “Due to an increase in the demand for big private events, we recently opened a very big space within the Naxxar Oratory, now known as the Floratorju, which can cater for groups of over a hundred.”
“We’ve been thrilled with the response so I’m planning to keep improving both the event space and our offering so we can become the go-to venue for private events and parties," she says.
Now that gives all us Flora cravers something extra special to look forward to!