Merill Speciality Store - Local delicacies and much more - COMING SOON

Hey Merill fans,

It's finally cooling off here in the Maltese Islands. We still have lots of sunny days to enjoy before it gets cold (in Malta, cooler weather ranges from an average of 20 degrees Celsius during the day and 12 degrees Celsius at night). 

At Merill Eco Tours we're looking forward to Autumn. It is a great time for us, organising agri-tourism experiences and lots of delicacy tasting sessions. Olive oil, local cheese (known as gbejna) and wine tasting remain as favourites. 

We're also preparing for the festive season...Yep...Christmas is round the corner. This is the fourth year we're holding an Eco Hamper Campaign and it's getting bigger and better. A speciality store will soon open its doors to food and healthy lifestyle lovers who wish to taste and lay their hands on the most genuine and tasty local products. It will be located in the village of Hal-Qormi, the bread making village of Malta. Hal-Qormi is only 10 minutes away from the Historical City of Valletta and 20 minutes away from Mdina, the fortified city. 

Lots of Maltese products will be found under one roof. Hand made gifts, culinary delicacies and organically produced food will be available. Tasting and information sessions will be held regularly and also upon request. Village walking tours in Hal-Qormi for groups and individual travellers will be available. 

For more information contact us on info@merill.com.mt or find us on our "Merill Local Products" Facebook fan page.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Experience 

NOW AVAILABLE FOR INDIVIDUALS

every Sunday morning!

Extra Virgin Olive oil produced by Maltese Farmers

Extra Virgin olive oil has always been considered to be delicacy in the Mediterranean diet. These mini-bottles contain extra virgin olive oil produced in Malta. They contain 100ml of liquid and are ideal as gifts and souvenirs.

- Carefully selected from the best Maltese farmers

- Produced from sustainable farms in Malta

- Olives are mechanically pressed using no heat

- No preservatives have been added to increase shelf life. 

- Contribute towards the greening of the landscape 

- Health benefits of olive oil have been proven scientifically

- Ideal for Vegans

- Excellent as a condiment ingredient for raw salads and snacks

- Tailor made Eco Hampers available

- Tastings available upon request

- The "Olive Grove Experience" available for groups at our exclusive rural venues

For more information drop is a line on info@merillecotours.com or call us on 00356 21411388. 

Some of our products

Here is a selection of our products. What Merill has set to achieve as from the onset, is to create a direct link with the farmers, and to establish a reliable and functioning network. All of our products carry all the necessary information on the label including the name of the actual farmer from where each product originates.

Wild Thyme Pure Honey - from Mgarr, Malta

Sea Salt - from Marsaskala, Malta

Hand made soap (Sea Salt) - made in Malta

Hand made soap - made in Malta

more to come...

Visit at Maypole Bakery

Freshly baked!

Almond cakes

Treacle tarts

A continuous success story

I felt so proud while reading the article named "The story of the birds and the bees" by Kristina Chetcuti featured on the latest E&D magazine. This article explains how Charles Camilleri, one of the beekeepers who supplies us regularly with honey, managed to place himself very well in a blind honey tasting competition in Tuscany. 

Charles also happens to be a good friend of mine. We were colleagues when I worked at the Ministry for Rural Affairs and the Environment and we read for the same Bachelors in Agro-Ecosystems Management between 2005 and 2008. After completing our studies, we took different paths, however we soon started working hand in hand on the Merill Local Products venture. Honey is by far the most popular local product of the Maltese people and we only choose the very best producers who like Charles, carry out bee keeping with a lot of dedication and passion.

Properties of honey have been appreciated since early times and life history of bees has been studied in detail to reap the maximum benefits from swarms. Bees are precious creatures as they are also responsible for carrying out a large percentage of pollination in many of the insect pollinated species. 

The relevance of this article lies in the fact that bee keeping is an agricultural practice that our ancestors have mastered. Nowadays, science and technology have made bee keeping a specific section within the umbrella of Agriculture. Many ask me, "are there any opportunities for students who are inclined to study Agriculture?". My answer is certainly Yes! Malta is a very small country however there are many opportunities that have not been exploited as yet. Marketing and Research in the Agricultural sector are two areas where there is ample room for growth, not only in Malta, but also in many countries around the world.

In principle, we only sell pure local honey in spite quantities are so limited. Our prices are fair in spite we do not have economies of scale like other Mediterranean countries. We are convinced about the quality of our honey and being a prestigious local product makes us look forward.

This year we have worked hard to assemble a larger range of products, all packaged in 100% upcycled packaging. To know more about our Eco Hamper, click here!

More links about this article:

Merill Local Products Eco Hamper Catalogue review from Charles Camilleri - Page 12

Every day keeps hay fever away - Times of Malta

Best Honey in the Mediterranean Competition

Article written by Jeanette Borg - Owner Merill Eco Tours and Local Products

Local Products Event at The Point Shopping Mall - 20th November 2011

Freshly baked article on Merill Eco Tours blog!!!

Stuck for gift ideas this Christmas?

l-Għalqa Eco Hamper

For many, Christmas is a period of dread - hectic shopping, cooking and get-togethers and to top it all choosing the right gifts for family and friends can easily become a nightmare. We live in times when it's becoming increasingly difficult to buy gifts that are appreciated by others. 

This year you can hit two birds with  one stone; buy a gift, and contribute towards the Maltese environment. The packaging used in our Eco-Hampers is entirely reused or fair trade, while all the products are strictly local. We work closely with farmers who produce genuine delicacies and are also committed towards the greening of our countryside. Honey and olive oil are by far the most popular products chosen by the Maltese people. Price also matters; this is why we have developed a whole range of packages between 6 and 40 Euros! We can even tailor make your ideal hamper according to your needs.

To view the whole range of eco-hampers click here! 

Feel free to send us an email on info@merillecotours.com or give us a call on 79411388. We'd love to hear from you!

Visit our stand at The Point Shopping Complex in Tigne on Sunday 20th November between 11am and 8pm.