MFWF: Feast for Freedom — A Longer Table

Overview

Food brings people together and understanding creates new bonds. That's the idea behind Feast for Freedom: A Longer Table — an immersive culinary and cultural experience next taking place as part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. Held at Footscray's Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC), Feast for Freedom events have raised over $2.3 million to support and empower people seeking asylum since 2019.

Running from 6–9pm on Wednesday, March 25, this special edition of Feast for Freedom sees guests gather around a communal table, sharing in a curated feast created by refugee cooks. For the evening, Noha from Palestine and Nige from Sri Lanka are leading this one-night-only feast, showcasing the cultural significance of their dishes and recounting their personal journeys to diners in their own words.

With funds raised going towards the ASRC's vital community work, the night's menu is a delightful one. Think Palestinian fare, such as cauliflower with tahini, Musakhan chicken rolls, and eggplant moussaka, alongside Sri Lankan faves like lamb curry, Parippu dhal curry, onion bhaji, and sambal. What's more, you'll need to save space for an assortment of desserts.

"At a time when fear and division are being used to decide who belongs, A Longer Table is about choosing connection instead," says ASRC founder Kon Karapanagiotidis OAM. "This is what Feast for Freedom is all about, bringing people together, sharing food and making sure everyone has a seat at the table."

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