Overview
It might have missed out on its 2020 run and faced its fair share of hiccups in 2021, but the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (MFWF) isn't about to let anything stop it from hosting a bumper celebration for its 30th anniversary edition this year. The annual citywide homage to Melbourne's renowned food and drink scene returns this autumn for a special two-week 2022 instalment, headlined by the iconic Nigella Lawson.
MFWF turns the big 3-0 with the help of a tantalising program of events from Friday, March 25–Saturday, April 9. And, as always, it's set to dish up a star-studded lineup of culinary guests, both local and international.
Among them, you'll catch bestselling author Lawson as she hosts a lavish Sunday lunch, followed by a fireside chat and Q&A led by Matt Preston. Elsewhere, Arabella Douglas and Christine Manfield join forces for a thought-provoking feast championing Asian and Indigenous ingredients and traditions, and renowned Hong Kong chef Jowett Yu takes over Nomad for a special sneak-peek at his latest exciting culinary project. Plenty more buzz-worthy appearances come from the likes of Firedoor's Lennox Hastie, Michelin-starred Sydney chef Skye Gyngell and Momofuku's Paul Carmichael, plus Dave Pynt of Singapore restaurant Burnt Ends.
Meanwhile, the World's Longest Lunch event will this year be helmed by Attica's legendary Ben Shewry, featuring a three-course al fresco feed to remember. And chefs Shane Delia (Maha), Joseph Abboud (Rumi) and Kirsty Chiaplias (Babajan) are set to lend a modern Middle Eastern flavour to the World's Longest Brunch.
Shane Delia, Ben Shewry, Joseph Abboud and Kirsty Chiaplias; by Josh Robenstone
As festival hub, the Queen Victoria Market will play host to a slew of food-focused parties and happenings — including returning favourites like multi-venue pasta celebration The Big Spaghetti, hot chip party Maximum Chips and the Shannon Martinez-helmed plant-based fiesta Welcome to the Jungle.
Highlights of Melbourne's famed, globally influenced snack scene will be showcased across two days at the inaugural Snacktown event, while locally produced liquid treats take centre stage at New Crush — a party dedicated to Victoria's finest sips, complete with demos, producer chats, specialty concoctions and even a booze-free silent disco.
Meat-lovers can sink their teeth into a special lunch series dedicated to all things steak, and the perennial favourite Crawl and Bite program will serve its usual lineup of progressive feasts, this time exploring suburbs including Armadale, South Yarra, Collingwood, Fitzroy and Footscray.
Catch the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival from Friday, March 25–Saturday, April 9 at venues across the city. Check out the full program over at the website and grab tickets from 10am on Thursday, February 17.