Flour & Fire, a private supper club and catering business run from a family home near Fremantle, will open bookings for its summer dinners on Monday.
The reservations, covering December to February, will be released from 9am on October 26. Groups of between six and 12 guests can book the dining experience, with requests accepted by email on a first-in, best-served basis.
The business is operated by chef Valerio Fantinelli and Anna Tamburri, who built a commercial kitchen and dining area in the backyard of their suburban home. The council and neighbours are aware of the operation.
Each dinner is built around a set menu featuring vegetables, fruit and herbs grown on the couple’s farm in Waroona. Other elements, including vinegars and tableware, have been made by the couple or sourced from people they know.
Fantinelli, who has worked in Abruzzo, Western Australia and Bali, said he had initially doubted whether people would pay to eat at his home.
“I never thought people would pay money for dinner at our place,” he said.
The idea began in 2018 with a one-off vegan meal for parents from the couple’s daughter Rosie’s primary school. It has since developed into regular Friday and Saturday evening dinners, with Sunday lunches held when the weather permits.
Rosie and her brother Xavier now help during services, while Fantinelli leads the kitchen and Tamburri manages front of house.
Flour & Fire dining options
Guests can choose between a family-style meal, priced at $180 per person, featuring large cuts of meat, vegetables and bread, or a $200 degustation menu made up of individually plated dishes. The menus can include around a dozen courses.
The cooking draws on Fantinelli’s Italian background while making use of produce from the couple’s farm. A wood-fired oven is central to the operation, with dishes ranging from fresh radicchio served alongside roasted wagyu beef to smoked posca, a tart aperitivo-style drink made with the couple’s vinegars.
Fantinelli said the decision to take bookings by email, rather than use an online system, was deliberate.
“I like having that personal touch with guests,” he said. “It feels like you’re coming to my house from the very beginning.”
Summer reservations can be requested from 9am on Monday by emailing val@flourandfire.com.au.
