Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1109092
25.04.19 10 INTERVIEW Busy Bee has a long history, having been established in 1933 by Censu Friggieri, with your father Edwin taking over in 1974. Growing up, did you always want to continue in your father's footsteps? Geoffrey Friggieri (GF): We always helped in the business, since we were young. In a way, it was automatic for us to be involved, but we always liked the work. When we eventually took over from our dad, Edwin, our aim was to keep up the quality of our products and increase our sales. But I don't think we were ever aggressive in our expansion strategy. Brian Friggieri (BF): I don't have memories of our grandfather Censu working in his small confectionary on the Msida seafront, but I know that his intention was to always offer the best product. When our dad started pass- ing his business on to us, we decided to expand while maintaining the high quality of our products. Late last year you opened a new factory in Mrieħel, including a coffee shop. What was behind this expansion? GF: Our Msida premises started reaching its limits and we needed a bigger place. BF: Our grandpa lived at his Msida café – it was his home. When the busi- ness was passed on to our dad, he kept buying property adjacent to the café, to make it larger. is had its limitations, however. We took a huge step in 1987 when our catering venue, Villa Mdina, started operating. Eventually, through this process of growth, we came to where we are now, at our new Mrieħel premises. What are the challenging aspects of the business? BF: Our biggest challenges are relat- ed to growth. When we were a smaller business, it's like we had a car with a 1.6 litre engine going at top speed. Now we have a V8 engine but we have to ensure that we utilise all its potential. ings like our running expenses, such as the ventilation system and air-condition- ing, have also increased. GF: And we need to keep striving to offer the best product… BF: People's expectations are higher now than in the past. ey have had more exposure to the kind of food available abroad and are more selective about which products they purchase. What makes your food products stand out? GF: All our products are made in- house and the seasonal ones are made following lengthy preparation periods. For instance, we had been preparing for Easter period production since Jan- uary. en, after that, we start prepar- ing for the December festive period, and hold a Christmas fair in June. And we are very careful where we source the ingredients for our products from – for instance, we import specific types of nuts. BF: Our focus is on traditional and artisan food, not mass production, which is why we haven't delved into ex- porting. We are leaders in artisan food and consequently have some very loyal customers. However, I believe that in the sector as a whole there is harmony with our competitors – we don't step on each other's toes. Which are the most popular products with consumers? GF: Probably kannoli and ottijiet. Nut-containing products are also very Busy Bee's growth, its kannoli and ottijiet Finding waiters is a big challenge nowadays. People working in the catering sector are not seeing it as a career. Even if they excel in a catering job, they still see it as a short-term thing Geoffrey and Brian Friggieri have taken over the helm of their family business, Busy Bee. ey speak to BUSINESS TODAY on the challenges of expanding their business MASSIMO COSTA