Images: Bridgewater Mill/ Provided
When La Trattoria Famiglia opens the doors to its first ever pop-up in the Adelaide Hills on August 2, diners won’t just be ordering pizza and pasta. They’ll be stepping into a meeting of two South Australian institutions separated by more than a century.
On one side is the Bridgewater Mill, the Adelaide Hills landmark that has stood on Cox Creek since 1860. On the other is the Parisi family’s italian cooking tradition, which began at Marcellina on Hindley Street in 1957 before finding a permanent home at La Trattoria on King William Street in 1975.
For co-owner Warren Randall, bringing the two together is about more than opening another restaurant.
“It’s creating a family orientated space in an iconic property with very high quality affordable Italian food,” he said.
Every pizza, pasta and sauce are made using recipes from the Parisi family, who founded La Trattoria in 1975. Passed down through generations, the recipes first appeared at the family’s pioneering Marcellina restaurant on Hindley Street in 1957.
“Nothing has changed at La Trattoria for 51 years, and they’re the exact same recipes we’ll be bringing to Bridgewater,” he said.
The traditional recipes will be served alongside the usual wine list, with Randall’s majority shareholding in Seppeltsfield helping to keep prices down for diners.
“I don’t need to put a massive margin on it, so we’ve got a very affordable wine list.”
The restaurant is initially operating as a pop-up, with the long-term future of the venue to be determined once the business has found its feet. However, Randall was confident that the demand is there.
“Given the venue, given its provenance and heritage and significance to the Adelaide Hills and the huge amount of community interest in it, I think we’re aiming at the right target market and price point with families,” he said.
Built in 1860 on Cox Creek, the Bridgewater Mill is one of the oldest surviving water-powered flour mills in the state. Its giant timber waterwheel has become a landmark in the Adelaide Hills, but has not operated for around two and a half years. Randall is hopeful that he will be able to get the wheel running again.
“It’s such a beautiful feature of not just Bridgewater, but the whole Adelaide Hills,” he said.
“I almost see it as my duty to the Adelaide Hills. I’d love some support from community, and from Adelaide Hills Council.”
La Trattoria Famiglia
When: Opening exclusively on Sundays for lunch from August 2
Where: The Bridgewater Mill, 386 Mount Barker Road, Bridgewater
To find out more, click here.
