Get on your bibs and start planning! The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is returning with its annual jam-packed program from March 15 to March 24, 2024. Featuring a star-studded line-up of chefs, local food heroes and special dining experiences for the public, it's a full-throated celebration of Melbourne’s food and drink scene – and our forks are at the ready. We've rounded up just a few of the highlights you can look forward to in 2024.
The ten-day event kicks off with the festival's signature World’s Longest Lunch, spearheaded this year by none other than Melbourne hospo royalty Andrew McConnell (Gimlet, Cumulus Inc, Cutler and Co, Supernormal, Marion). McConnell said, “MFWF is crucial to continuing and reinforcing Melbourne’s reputation as the cultural and gastronomic capital of Australia. It’s an honour to be headlining the World’s Longest Lunch in Kings Domain as part of the 2024 festival.”
The celebrated chef will be serving an extravagant three-course lunch across more than 600 metres of table winding through Melbourne’s Kings Domain. Paired wines and light entertainment are included in the lunch, which you can book at the website.
You can also tuck in to some fine fare at the World’s Longest Brunch, led by a trio of Melbourne’s new wave Indian food geniuses Harry Mangat (Biji Dining), Helly Raichura (Enter via Laundry) and Mischa Tropp (Toddy Shop). Mangat opens the brunch with his delicious take on chaat, followed by the classic Goan ros omelette from mastermind Tropp, and Raichura will bring it all home with her spin on a beloved Mughlai-style sweet treat. Go here to snag a spot, which gets you a seat at the brunch, Inglewood coffee and sparkling vino on arrival.
Other highlights throughout the festival include Dan's Diner (a ten-day dinner series from some of Melbourne's greatest chefs named "Dan"), a Crown residency from Garima Arora (the first female Indian chef to win a Michelin star), Westside Wanders' moveable feasts, and a powerhouse collaboration at Shane Delia's Maha among more special dinners as part of the Global Dining Series.
We also recommend making your way to Fed Square on the weekend running from Saturday March 23 to Sunday Sunday March 24 for Celebrity Sausage, a Baker's Dozen market featuring snazzy snag creations from the likes of Sarah Todd and Clare Bowditch and cult favourite local bakeries like Tarts Anon, Black Star Pastry and Bread Club.
“Woo!” says Creative Director Pat Nourse. “This festival is going to be huge. We’ve got more events in more places for more people, with more talent from all over. The Global Dining Series has been supersized, with more opportunities than ever to catch the international and interstate visitors whose events get snapped up so fast. Come to Melbourne and make a week of it – we’ve got more than enough for everyone.”
Check out the epic program and book your tickets ASAP.