Happening over 17 days, the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival comprises some 200 feasting events and activities held over multiple venues both within Melbourne City itself as well as the Victoria region. Attracting about 300,000 guests annually, this annual culinary celebration covers a wide range of gastronomic experiences – from wine tasting, dessert sampling, and talks by celebrity Michelin star-studded chefs, to elaborate breakfasts, lunches, teas and dinners. In a city renowned for its fabulous festivals (I’ve been here three weeks and already experienced three different mega-events!), the Food & Wine is considered by many to be a must-eat experience for conoisseurs of any affiliation.
At the kind invitation of the nice folks from Tourism Victoria, I had the rare privilege of participating in the marquee event of the occasion called the World’s Longest Lunch. With an estimated 160 tables lined up along the Crown Riverside on the Yarra River, the lunch serving more than 1,200 guests was an eating (and drinking) extravaganza of epic proportions! Apparently, the three-hour Italian inspired dining event was fully booked many days before it occurred.
Here’s a pictorial account of my experience this afternoon. Buono appetito!
