In the lively, multicultural barrio of Santa Catalina, between the hum of cafes and the bustling market, Lebanese-born Michelle Moarbes Grasberger welcomes a steady flow of locals and visitors into her bakery. While her Austrian husband Thomas—an expert in traditional sourdough—is baking behind the scenes, Michelle is in the shop front greeting every customer as if they were an old friend, radiating warmth and hospitality. While her roots are now firmly planted in this vibrant community, Michelle´s journey to Santa Catalina has been remarkable, transitioning from a high-powered corporate career to a life centred on simplicity, connection, and the art of slowing down.
A journey to Mallorca
Michelle and Thomas’ journey to Mallorca spans decades, continents, and careers. Their love story began 30 years ago in the Intercontinental Hotel in Dubai, where their shared background in hospitality planted the seeds for a future venture. While Thomas honed his craft in the bakery business from the tender age of 18, Michelle pursued a corporate career in talent development and coaching, working across seven countries. Their life was marked by constant movement—Saigon, the Gulf, and beyond. But eventually, the couple yearned for something permanent, a lifestyle that allowed them to put down roots and connect deeply with a community.
“We had opportunities in New Zealand, Southampton, Austria, and finally Mallorca,” Michelle recalls. “Mallorca felt like home to me. As a Mediterranean girl born in Beirut, the island’s climate, culture, and proximity to family made it the perfect fit.”
In 2016, the couple arrived on the island and took over a German-run bakery in Can Pastilla. It was here that their transformation began. Recognising the need for a year-round, community-focused establishment, they transitioned the business to Santa Catalina in 2017 and made a bold decision: to focus exclusively on traditional sourdough bread. “We were the first here to focus entirely on sourdough,” Michelle shares. “Clean, honest bread—just flour, water, and salt, maybe some seeds or olive oil. Nothing else.” For Michelle, bread is more than sustenance. She explains, “In Arabic, the word for bread, aish, also means life. Bread should be as natural as life itself.”
Savouring slow living
But Thomas’ Bakeshop isn’t just about the humble loaf. It’s about the values woven into the bread. Their sourdough, crafted from Thomas’ own recipes, symbolises patience, care, and authenticity—values intrinsic to Michelle´s life philosophy since moving to the island. “In my corporate days, life was fast-paced—always rushing, competing, flying. But here, I’ve learned to slow down,” she smiles. Her mornings start at 5 a.m., not out of necessity, but to savour quiet moments of coffee, meditation, and reading. Weekly Pilates, long walks, and a commitment to mindful living ground her days. Her time in Asia, particularly in Vietnam, profoundly shaped her perspective. “In Vietnam, mindfulness is a way of life. Lunch breaks are sacred, and everyone takes time to rest. I learned to carry that intentionality with me,” she recalls. The rituals she discovered there—massage, acupuncture, and meditation—have become pillars of her life in Mallorca.
The bakery´s aesthetic mirrors her philosophy. The space is intentionally designed to feel like a kitchen, inviting customers to linger, chat, or browse the community bookshelf. “I hope that when people come here, they leave not just with bread but with a sense of warmth and real human connection,” she shares. In the multicultural heart of Santa Catalina, Michelle´s childhood dream of exploring the world has evolved into welcoming the world to her doorstep, creating a space where cultures and stories intertwine with the aroma of fresh sourdough.
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