Forn de Can Marc: “Our values are those my father taught us: respect the craft and never give up”

C.M./Ferreries - With more than 130 years of history and five generations behind it, Forn Ca’n Marc in Ferreries is one of the great guardians of Menorcan baking tradition. Winner of the Foodies 2025 Award for Best Bakery/Pastry Shop, the business keeps alive a legacy that blends craftsmanship, local produce and emblematic village recipes. Together with his cousins Sebastià Pons Marquès and Bep Martí Pons, Marc Pons Pallicer (Ferreries, 1989) represents the new generation driving this iconic bakery forward.

How has the bakery evolved over five generations, and which family values have kept it alive?
This year we suffered the loss of my father (Marc Pons Florit) due to illness. The values are the same he taught us: to be strong, respect the craft, work with humility and never give up.

What does this recognition mean to you, especially as a long-standing family business?
We are very happy and grateful for the award. We work every day with dedication and love, and our customers respond in kind. Receiving this recognition is a joy and a motivation to continue working as we do.

As a representative of the fifth generation, what are the main challenges and motivations?
One of the main challenges is competition from industrial products. Everything we sell is made by us; we hardly sell anything that isn’t our own. Nowadays, you can find baked goods everywhere —supermarkets, petrol stations— and that means competing on price. Our only way to do so is through quality.

Among your wide range of traditional Menorcan products, which one best represents local tradition?
Probably the coca bamba. It’s one of our best-selling products and the one people most associate with us. People come from all over Menorca to buy it. It’s hard to choose just one, but traditional coquetes and rubiolets are also signature products.

What role do lesser-known local pastries, such as the mocadorets from Ferreries, play in preserving tradition?
We’ve always made them, we always will, and always in the same way. Industrial fillings are common nowadays, but out of respect for tradition, we must keep making everything ourselves. That’s how we honour the product and keep tradition alive.

How do you balance tradition with modern production demands?
Techniques have evolved slightly. We now have machinery that helps us, but the process remains artisanal. Long-fermentation products, like Mallorcan ensaimadas, benefit greatly from refrigeration and fermentation chambers.

Do you adapt recipes to the seasons or local festivities?
We keep the same philosophy, but some products are only made at specific times of the year.

How does tourism affect your business?
We really feel the impact of tourism. Visitors appreciate finding authentic local products, especially ensaimadas and savoury coques.

What have been the hardest moments in the generational transition?
Losing my father has been the hardest. He handled the night baking, especially bread, and replacing that role has been emotionally and professionally challenging.

Have you introduced innovations in recent years?
Yes, the fifth generation has introduced new products such as carrot cake, new croissant formats and seeded breads, which our regular customers appreciate.

If you had to define yourselves with one concept, which would it be?
Tradition. We respect our products, continue to work many processes by hand, and avoid industrial manipulation as much as possible.