Night after night, customers have been filing through the doors of Blazing Bullocks, a new family-friendly smokehouse in Leasingham.
The venue is a one-stop spot for wood-fired, chargrilled “bites of happiness”, cold drinks and generous meals designed to be shared.
Run by husband-and-wife duo Kelly and Cutzy Cathill alongside chef Nathan Wright, Blazing Bullocks specialises in low-and-slow meats, chargrilled dishes and hearty platters.
By day, the same venue operates as BB’s Café, offering rolls, house-made pies and coffee, along with pastries and cakes supplied by Little Red Grape Bakery, before transforming into a lively smokehouse later in the week.
The sprawling historic stone venue stands at the crossroads of Wakefield Road and the Horrocks Highway, near the route once travelled by bullock teams carrying copper from Burra to Port Wakefield.
After Kelly and Cutzy moved from Wallaroo to the Clare Valley, Kelly’s hospitality background, Cutzy’s passion for smoking meat and seven months of hard work led to the venue we see today.
“The town has been absolutely friendly and amazing,” Kelly said.
During its opening weekend, the team served 115 meals within an hour and a half on Saturday night, after also preparing around 80 meals on Thursday.
Despite the hectic start, Kelly said the service ran smoothly because much of the food had been prepared well in advance.
The cooking process is all about going low and slow, allowing the meat time to develop flavour and tenderness.
Briskets are cooked throughout the day before being held and rested overnight at a consistent temperature, creating meat that is smoky, tender and easy to pull apart. Each cut is treated differently, with house spice blends used across the menu and Argentinian seasoning added to the beef ribs.
“Everyone is loving our smoky, tangy, in-house barbecue sauce, which we make ourselves,” Kelly said.
The menu is divided into Lil Eats, Big Eats, Kids and Fussy Eats, with customisable options available for different dietary requirements. Kelly recommends calling ahead for vegetarian, coeliac or other dietary requests so the team can prepare something suitable.
The Big Eats menu includes a brisket plate, street taco plate and the Bullocks Platter, which Kelly described as having “a bit of everything”.
The platter has quickly become the venue’s biggest seller and is a substantial meal designed for at least two people.
The street taco plate comes with chicken, taco bread, hummus, Greek-style sauce, lettuce, onion, tomato and cucumber, allowing diners to build their own wraps at the table.
Those looking for something smaller can turn to the Lil Eats menu, which includes BB wings, bacon-wrapped lil smokies and loaded chips much like an AB pack or HSP.
During the week, BB’s Café serves kransky hot dogs, bacon and egg rolls, hot pork rolls, brisket rolls, brisket pies, chicken pies and chicken, feta and spinach pies.
Much of the café menu incorporates meat remaining from the smokehouse service, helping the business reduce food waste while offering affordable lunches to workers and locals.
The owners also want Blazing Bullocks to become part of the wider Clare Valley community, creating a welcoming place where people can meet, relax and enjoy a generous meal. The business is already supporting local sporting clubs, with proceeds from its empty bottles and cans being donated back into the community.
Looking ahead, Kelly hopes to use the intimate cellar beneath the venue to host food and drink pairing events for groups of around 12 to 15 people, including gin, wine and bourbon tastings.
Soon they’ll also introduce Wings Wednesday and other rotating themed evenings, potentially including seafood nights and different cooked-to-order specials.
For now, Blazing Bullocks can be found at 2 Wakefield Road, Leasingham, with bookings strongly recommended as the great food continues to sell out.
Blazing Bullocks
Where: 2 Wakefield road, Leasingham
BB’s Cafe: Monday to Friday, from 8am until 3pm
Blazing Bullocks: Thursday-Friday 5pm-10pm and Sat & Sun 12pm – 10pm
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