C
arloValmorbidais
rememberedasa family
man,businessowner
andoneofMelbourne’s
Italianfoodpioneers,
buthisstorystartsinNorthernItaly,
wherehewasa racingdriver.
Hewasa decentone,too,competinginItaly’shistoricMille
Migliarally.Carloknewwhentoshiftgears,takehisfootoffthe
pedalandmakesplit-seconddecisionsthatpaidoff– instincts
thatguidedhimthroughlifeandbusinessofftheracetrack.
Hewanteddesperatelytopursuelifeonthetrack,but
thewakeofWorldWarII ledhimtothinkpractically.His
hometown,VallidelPasubioinItaly’snorth,wasleftravaged
andheneededtoearna sustainableliving.Hewaslookingfor
opportunityandimmigratedtoMelbourneinDecember1949.
Carlodidn’tentirelyleavehishot-lapdreamsbehind,
however;hecametoAustraliawitha plan.“Mygrandfather’s
ambitionwhenhewasyoungwastobuya racingcar.Hewas
goingtosaveupthemoneyhere,thenmovebacktoItaly,”says
LucaSbardella,who,alongwithhiscousin,JamieValmorbida,
arethethirdgenerationofValmorbidastorunCarlton’s
longstanding Italian food and wine precinct, King & Godfree.Shortlyafterarrivingin
Melbourne,Carlogota job
workingasa storemanat the
ItalianfoodstoreAgostino&
CoonSwanstonStreetinCarlton.
Alongsidetheoriginalowner,Frank
Agostino,Carlohelpedexpandthebusiness,asthedemand
forItalianfoodgrewasmoreItalianssettledinMelbourne.
“Withina year,therewerelinesoutthedoorandthey
starteddoinghomedeliveries,”explainsJamie.“Butthey
couldn’tkeepup,andit gottothepointwheremygrandfather
wantedtostarthisownbusiness.”
FrankAgostinowasgettingolderandwantedtoleave
hisstoreinreliablehands.In1951,heinvitedCarloandhis
brotherstobuyhimout.By1954,theValmorbidabrothers
hadstartedimportingandwholesalingItalianfood,including
oliveoil,Parmigiano-Reggiano,mozzarella,pastaandcanned
tunaandtomatoes,totheMelbournecommunity.
“Theyweren’tonlysupplyingItalians,butalsoAustralians,”
saysJamie.“Intheearlydays,mygrandfatherwouldgoround
toothernon-Italianstoresandleavea pieceofparmesan
cheeseat theirdoorforfreesotheycouldtryit,becausehe
was confident they would like it and then want to buy it.”Victoria
THE VALMORBIDA
FAMILY
by Lisa Marie Corso
Clockwisefromtop
left:CarloValmorbida’s
passport;LaGina
tinnedtomatoes;a
postcardfromItaly
toCarlo;scenes
fromAgostino&
Co;King& Godfree;
Sirenatinnedtuna;
CarloValmorbida;
Agostino& Co;
parmesan cheese.72 GOURMET TRAVELLER