By ALESHA CAPONE
FINE food is a family affair for Michelle Simoni.
Forty-three years ago, her father Tony established Borg’s Cakes, Pasta and Pastizzi in Altona.
After migrating to Australia from Malta as a young man, Tony laid 65,000 bricks while building the Harrington Square shop.
Business soon began booming, as Tony and his wife Agnes purchased reception centres in Yarraville and Altona.
In addition, they established a pastizzi factory and had four children, Patrick, Eddie, Michelle and Darren.
The siblings have all worked in the shop and Ms Simoni grew up to become the store’s manager and cake designer.
Her brother Darren and 74-year-old father regularly arrive at the business at 3am to bake delicious delicacies.
“Dad owns the shop and still helps my brother with making pastizzi and ravioli upstairs,” Ms Simoni said.
“Whereas I live, breathe and dream cakes.”
“I used to go to school around the corner and rush here afterwards.”
Ms Simoni transports her cakes and party supplies to events across the West, and further afield to areas like South Morang and Bacchus Marsh.
“What I enjoy most about working here is the social side, meeting new people all the time and more so – when I deliver a cake, balloons and finger food – seeing the smile’s on people’s faces,” she said.
“The most frequent requests I get are for designer cakes with something weird and wonderful, and people don’t think we can do it.
“Usually at the start people say, we don’t think you can do it and I say, we have before!”
Ms Simoni’s 19-year-old daughter is already planning her own future in the family business.
“She always says to me, mum, who will take over when you retire? Probably me,” Ms Simoni said.
