Food mania takes over Melbourne!
That could be a newspaper headline but it’s not.
It is a fact though, because during the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, food and wine become the focal talking point of the year.
Melbourne Food and Wine Festival
Melbourne in Australia already has a first class reputation for culinary excellence that’s raised to a new limit.
When the city dedicates ten whole days to some major gastronomical delights, both Australian and International, during the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.
In essence, the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is a community event which concentrates on bringing people together.
Whether they’re family, friends or strangers, you’ll enjoy some good food and wine in great company. Parties and gatherings take place all over the state of Victoria.
The ones you won’t want to miss will be happening in and around Melbourne itself.
French food flair is celebrated in different venues of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival all over the city. In 2020 you can enjoy a 7-course meal at ‘French Flavours’ from the renowned chef and winemaker Simon Steele.
You may think the World’s Longest Lunch is about stretching your midday work break to a new limit. It isn’t. This tradition of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is about how far into the distance the tables will reach.
This year at the Melbourne Bank Longest Lunch, which is being held on the banks of the Maribyrnong River basically because it just won’t fit into any other venue, five hundred metres of table will be set for one thousand and seven hundred guests.
Live music between the courses of Italian, Indian, Cambodian and Vietnamese influenced food will keep everyone entertained while the only concern is – who’s doing the washing up?
If you want a World’s Longest Lunch which might produce some additional unexpected thrills, try the Eynesbury Homestead’s mega spread.
A forty five minute drive from Melbourne centre, the Eynesbury Homestead was once part of a pioneering sheep farming empire and is reputed to be haunted.
You never know, if they take a shine to the menu, there just might be one or two extra ghostly guests for lunch who haven’t been invited.
Two different cuisines decided to collaborate (for our delight) in Melbourne Food and Wine Festival 2020, Mexican and Japanese. All the famous flavours of both kitchens with a tasty twist on them is something no one should miss out.
Have you ever had a meal blindfolded? You can experience a five-course Italian meal where you will be required to put a blindfold for one of the courses. The meals are prepared from the famous chef Joseph Vargetto with wine or a cocktail.
Any dish is only as good as the ingredients which go into it. Get closer to Mother Nature during an exploratory tour of the organic section of Queen Victoria Market.
You’ll begin to get an understanding of how holistic agricultural methods enhance the quality of produce. Be enthused by the enormous range of biodynamic and wild ingredients available.
Then go home with a goody bag full of treats to create a special dish in your own kitchen.
Life just wouldn’t be the same without Italian food.
Probably one of the best kitchens in the world, the Italian cuisine has a presence in nearly all the 11 days of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. You can learn how to make Cannoli the Sicilian way and find out how to make the pasta the traditional way. You can also enjoy other Italian meals from the many events offered.
If you’re on a budget but still want be part of Melbourne’s Food and Wine Festival celebration there are some amazing events with no entry charge.
For a family fun time, try The Big Spaghetti at Queen Victoria Market, from 11:00am – 7:00pm.
It’s a community gathering where everyone is welcome to dive into the free food and wine while they browse the stalls of organic produce from local farmers, listen to the live music and admire the art exhibitions.
There’s also another great non-ticket event, the Pontoon Beach Club at Fatto.
On the first day of the food and wine festival (Thursday 19th March), you can relax at midday while you’re soaking up the Melbourne sun on the beach side. There’s also a late night menu with a dance party.
The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is a ten day celebration of food in all its glorious aspects.
Everything from the humblest tomato to the most sophisticated and organically grown produce, plus African, Asian, Italian and many more cooking techniques, are all honored in various events around the city giving the festival a recipe for success.
The food and wine festival is in Melbourne, Victoria, dispersed in over 100 venues during the 11 day event.
Many of the events held during the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival are ticket only with limited places available. Book early to avoid disappointment.
Staying in Melbourne centre, which has plenty of excellent value for money accommodation, will save you lots on transport costs.
Consider purchasing a myki explorer transport package. It costs $15 and gives you unlimited one day travel within the Melbourne metropolitan area plus discounted entrance to some of Melbourne’s main attractions. ‘
Melbourne is in the state of Victoria and after Sydney, is the second most populated city in Australia. It’s rich with history and a cultural diversity which dates back to the gold rush era when people of all nationalities flooded to the settlement on the banks of the Yarra River in hope of finding a nugget or twos worth of wealth.
Much of Melbourne’s heritage can still be seen today and there’s no shortage of fascinating places to visit between the feasts of the Food and Wine Festival.
Do-badders didn’t get a lot of leniency back in the early 1900’s. For those convicted of heinous crimes it was straight to the cells. You can relive what it might have been like when you visit Old Melbourne Gaol and take part in an arresting, interactive experience. Volunteers are also requested for a case re-enactment in the magistrates court where those involved are tried and sentenced. Then go on to view the execution area, where thankfully, no participation is required.
Melbourne is backed by the Dandenong mountain range and they are the perfect place to visit when you need a change of scene from city skyscrapers. The best and most unique way of exploring this stunning rainforest covered area is on a century old steam train. Puffing Billy trundles its way along a winding, elevated track through Eucalyptus plantations so you also get the chance to spot some koalas, Australia’s favorite natives.
Food and beverage businesses open their doors, on one mile long Flinders Street, for night revellers in the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival Block Party. Basically a pub crawl with lots of tasty grub thrown in, it’s an evening event designed for meeting, mingling and indulging.
There’s more in Melbourne’s back allies than cobblestones. Tucked away on one, in the south of the city, is the Melbourne Moonshine company. Distillers of quality hooch, they brew up a huge street party and a vegan BBQ which is reputed to last from dusk to dawn.
Melbourne is brim full of great places to stay which are close to the Food and Wine Festival venues.
Whether you’re considering cheap and cheerful or want to treat yourself to a spot of luxurious living don’t leave it until the last minute to book as during the festival the city receives a huge influx of visitors.
The All Nations Hostel’s dorm-style rooms are great if you’re traveling in a group and happy to bunk up in the same room as your friends.
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If you’re going it alone and on a budget, they’re still perfect as the dorms sleep from four to twelve people and there’s a female only option too. The All Nations Hostel is right next to Flinders Street Station, so you won’t have far to go when first you arrive or if you want to join the partygoers at the Flinders Street block party.
An absolute gem, located in downtown Melbourne on the edge of what is known as the CBD or city business district, the City Centre Budget Hotel has got it all for a seriously affordable price.
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Great rooms for either couples or families, its in just the right place for easy access to many of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival’s main events.
Staying at The Blackman Hotel isn’t just about having a decent bed to sleep in for the night. It’s about immersing yourself in the world of art.
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The hotel is named after artist Charles Blackman, co-founder of the Melbourne Contemporary Art School and his replicas of his famous works hang on the walls of all the rooms and suites.
If you’ve got a mega appetite then Melbourne really is the right place to satiate it. There’s so much variety of food on offer during the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, going hungry is not an option. Want to slip in some extra eats? Try some of these.
The Jack Rabbit Vineyard host a 10K Gourmet lunch where the food and wine is guaranteed to consist of only ingredients sourced from within a ten kilometre range. For some posh nosh, which will set you back a penny or two, join the tables of the Captains of Industry Dinner for a five course feast of high end cuisine.
Pull up a chair and join the friendly communal banquet featuring Ethiopian cuisine at the Konjo Cafe in Footscray where flatbreads replace forks in an authentic African eating experience.
Keeping it spicy but with a Greek influence, the Press Club on Flinders Street will be serving up a succulent Butter Chicken all week topped off by cocktails created by Greece’s best mixologists.
Vegetarians and vegans will be spoilt for choice during the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. As well as most of the participating restaurants offering vegan friendly alternatives, there’s a fantastic chow down at the Creators Lounge who have redesigned American classics to sublime meat free dishes.
If you’re flying in to the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival you’ll probably land at Tullamarine Airport. As well as receiving international flights, the airport has terminals for domestic and budget domestic flights. Skybus operate a regular shuttle service from the airport into the city which takes around thirty minutes and costs eighteen Australian dollars.
Skybus services disembark at the Southern Cross Station which is Melbourne’s main transport terminal for connecting to all other inner-city services.
If you’re considering driving to Melbourne from any of the outer suburbs such as Yarra, Sunbury, Ballarat or Warrambool, even though they’re not overly long journeys, one hour, forty minutes, an hour and a half or three hours respectively, consider taking public transport. The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is about enjoying eating and drinking which you can’t do if you’re driving.
Metro Trains run a comprehensive service from all the outer lying suburbs of Melbourne which will deposit you at Melbourne Central Station from where you’ll be able to connect with bus and tram services throughout the city. Fares vary depending on which zone you start your journey in. Using a pre-charged myki card will ensure you pay the lowest fare. It you’re traveling from outside the myki valid zone you will need to purchase a different ticket to cover the extra cost
Melbourne operates a free tram zone in the City Business District which incorporates many of the Food and Wine Festival venues. With a valid myki card up to a two hour journey anywhere within the metropolitan zone on bus or tram or a combination of both costs just $2.15.
The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary this year. From humble beginnings, with just a dozen events in its first year, the festival has expanded to incorporate three hundred different celebrations of food throughout the entire state of Victoria.
More important is the sense of community spirit which the festival generates. Getting people together in a friendly atmosphere to not only understand more about the produce they consume, but to remind everyone food production and consumption should be a community thing.
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