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Forks at the ready! The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is returning with its annual jam-packed program from March 21 to March 30. Featuring a star-studded line-up of chefs, local food heroes and special dining experiences, it's a full-throated celebration of Melbourne’s food and drink scene – and we couldn't be more excited (or hungry!).
The ten-day event kicks off with the festival's signature World’s Longest Lunch, spearheaded this year by none other than Melbourne-born culinary legend Curtis Stone. Another favourite is the World's Longest Brunch, which this year is being reimagined by beloved author and food personality, Julia Busuttil Nishimura – expect a moving feast celebrating the city's brunch culture.
Other highlights include Dim City, which celebrates 80 years of the delicious pork parcel (fun fact: dim sims were invented in Melbourne) with a giveaway of dimmies by chefs Rosheen Kaul (Etta), John Rivera (Askal) and Eun Hee An (Moon Mart). Best of all, it's free! And you won't want to miss Something Saucy, a pasta pop-up in Whitehart Lane or Tacos and Toum, which will see Raph Rashid team up with hummus king Tom Sarafian to explore these two grand culinary traditions.
Also returning for its third year is Baker's Dozen. The free event at Fed Square brings together the city's finest bakers and cakers – including Madeleine de Proust, Lune, Tarts Anon, All Are Welcome and Baker Bleu – to whip up some delicious creations. Plus, if you love a cheeky cardamom bun, don't miss Richard Hart's famed Copenhagen bakery Hart Bageri when it pops up at Melbourne Quarter.
There's so much more to eat your way through – regional long lunches! Oyster and natty wine parties! Beer crawls! – so clear your schedule and start planning. For more info on the tasty program and to book your tickets (ASAP, if we were you), head to the website.