The Paper Mill Producing Sheets for Michelin-Starred Menus
Amalfi paper, made by hand in the coastal town of Amalfi since the twelfth century, is the material of choice for menu printing at restaurants including Noma in Copenhagen and The Fat Duck in Bray. Its distinctive deckle edge, subtle texture, and ability to receive letterpress printing with exceptional clarity make it the paper equivalent of fine crystal.
The Amaltruda family has operated Cartiera Amatruda since 1434, making it one of the oldest continuously operating paper mills in the world. The mill draws water from the same mountain streams powering its original hammers, using cotton rag as its primary fibre source, producing paper of extraordinary longevity and beauty.
Cotton rag paper differs fundamentally from wood-pulp paper. Cotton fibres are longer, stronger, and free of the lignin causing wood-pulp paper to yellow and become brittle. A sheet of cotton rag paper made today will remain white and supple for five hundred years, which is why it has been standard for currency and fine art since the Renaissance.
The sheet-forming process begins with beating cotton rags in water until they decompose into individual fibres. A wire-mesh mould is dipped into the diluted pulp, lifted out, and shaken to distribute the fibres evenly. The wet sheet is then pressed and hung to dry in the Mediterranean breeze.
Menu designers value handmade paper for the sensory experience it provides before a word is read. The weight in the hand, the surface irregularity, and the deckle edge signalling handcraft all prepare the diner for a meal aspiring to artistry. The paper becomes the first course, a statement of intention.
Menu designers value handmade paper for the complete sensory experience it provides before a single word is read. The weight of the sheet in the hand, the subtle irregularity of its surface texture, and the deckle edge signalling authentic handcraft all prepare the diner for a meal aspiring to artistry. The paper becomes the first course. Learn more at https://www.amatruda.it
