This year’s Melbourne Food & Wine Festival’s signature event -The World’s Longest Lunch – went Greek with a bang. For all those who attended the event was a huge hit.
The Melbourne Food & Wine Festival is a major part of Victoria’s tourism industry promotion founded in 1993 that has not only showcased the best of Victoria’s food and wine but also brought major industry identities to Melbourne like Nigela Lawson, Heston Blumenthal and the late Anthony Bourdain. As the Festival promotion states it has grown from a modest offering of 12 events to an internationally recognised program of more than 400 events across the breadth of Melbourne, as well as satellite events around the state of Victoria. The Festival is supported by the Victorian Government.
This year’s Festival ranges over 200 events scheduled from March 20-29, including the Cake Picnic debut and the Baker’s Dozen at Fed Square, with the program blending exclusive dining with free city events.
Some of the happy attendees at the Lunch – Angela Nicolettou at left. Photos: Jim Claven
The first major event in the program is the Festival’s World’s Longest Lunch. This event has been running since the Festival’s beginning. This year the organisers decided to focus on bringing together some of Melbourne’s Greek Australian chefs, writers and restaurateurs to showcase how Melbourne’s Hellenic community does Greek. This year’s Lunch was presented by La Trobe Financial, along with a range of other event partners in support including Korres.
The event was held in the Kings Domain gardens, near Government House. As the attendees arrived, walking through the lawn and trees, a beautiful Melbourne sun shone to warm the gathering as they were serenaded to the music of Melbourne’s Aegean Trio including Achilles Kalanis. This was so appropriate given Achilles having been an important part of the Melbourne wine scene for many years. The 1600 guests then took their seats at the 600 metre long table winding through the gardens.
Attendee Alkistis Gerassimou (rear left) with Lunch meze designer Ella Mittas (rear right) and friends.
The lunch offerings were selected and designed by Melbourne’s Ella Mittas, Alex Xinis, Con Christopoulos and Stavros Konis. Ella designed the amazing meze menu of zucchini fritters (with parlsey, lemnon and dill), fava with pickled shallots, tzatziki with roast almonds, sour cherry dolmades, kefalograviera with honey and marjoram and yogurt flat bread. Ella is a Melbourne chef whose fascination with traditional Hellenic food stems from her Greek heritage and work in Greece and other places. She runs her catering company Ela Melbourne and her passion for food is reflected in her writings in Gourmet Traveller and The Guardian and her cookbook Ela! Ela! published in 2024.
The main course was designed by Alexi Xinis of Tzaki fame. Alex chose slow roasted shoulder of Emral lamb by Kilcoy, served with braised chickpeas and mustard greens. Readers may know Alex from his ten year stint at the Hellenic Republic. He also cooked at the Michelin-starred Funky Gourmet restaurant in Athens before opening Yarraville’s tasting bar Tzaki in 2024 followed by new wave Greek charcoal chicken venue Kokoras last year.
The main course at the Lunch.
The dessert of portokalopita – orange syrup filo pastry cake – was suggested by Con and Stavros, the duo behind Kafenion at the Melbourne Supper Club. They have been part of Melbourne’s thriving hospitality scene for many years, including at the famous European restaurant on Spring Street. Stavros family founded Richmond’s Salona restaurant which he has reinvigorated with his experience with Kafenion. These great dishes were accompanied by a range of beverages, including wines, beers, mineral water and coffee. What more could a foodie desire!
Attendees included educator and cook Angela Nicolettou of Angela’s Kitchen fame with partner Karen Manwaring and Greek Community of Melbourne Board Member & Vice President. Vicki Kyritsis. Others who spoke to the author about the day were Melbourne foodies Alkistis Gerassimou and Mary Tsaganis.
Let the Greek dance begin – attendees get into the Hellenic dancing groove.
As the attendees finished their meal and enjoyed the parea nothing could restrain them from getting up and dancing in the gardens. In this they were assisted not only by the evocative sounds of the Aegean Trio but also the infectious efforts of the Manasis School of Greek Dance and Culture. One of those who jumped at the chance to dance in celebration of the event was attendee Mary Tsaganis who said that when she closed her eyes she imagined that she was dancing at her favourite taverna beneath the Acropolis!
One of the other Greek-themed events in this year’s program brings together four of Melbourne’s Greek women foodies in a celebration of their Greek culinary heritage – and what better day to hold it than on Greek independence day! With title that all Hellenes will associate with – Greek Home Cooking: Cooking by Eye – the event brings together author Ella Mittas, Kathy Tsaples of Sweet Greek, Angela Nicolettou of Angela’s Kitchen and Stalactites’ Nicole Konstandakopoulos at Angie Giannakodakis’ Taverna restaurant in Brunswick East. The event is a celebration of the generational passing of recipes from grandmother to mother to daughter. As Angie says the event is personally significant for her, as one generation gives way to another, she hopes that the next generation will continue to honour and remember the Greek heritage that we cherish. Two events are scheduled – a lunch and a dinner – both on March 25. For bookings go to hello@ourtaverna.com or call 90364949.
Some of the meze at the Lunch.
Vicki Kyritsis said that the events Greek theme is yet more confirmation of the thriving Melbourne Hellenic food and wine scene. With its roots in the early Greek hospitality establishment of the pre-WW2 era to the explosion of restaurants and cafes with the post-war Greek migration, Melbourne’s Hellenic food scene has been enriched by a new generation of Hellenic food and wine providers into the full range of hospitality offerings we now enjoy across Melbourne and Victoria – from cafes and restaurants, delicatessens and other food purveyors, speciality beverage suppliers and more. The scene now appeals to the full range of customers, from those seeking a quick bite or a Greek coffee to high-end restaurant establishments as well as Hellenic cooking classes. As Alkistis Gerassimou says there would not be many Melbourne kitchens that don’t have at least one Hellenic themed cookbook from the huge range of books now on offer.
Congratulations to all involved especially the four Australian Hellenic menu designers as well as the Board and Team of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival including CEO Anthea Loucas Bosha for putting together this important event showcasing Greek cuisine.
Jim Claven OAM is a trained historian, freelance writer and published author. He has been researching the Hellenic link to Anzac for many years as well as other Hellenic cultural topics, including aspects of Greece’s food and wine culture both in Australia and Greece. He thanks Vicki Kyritsis, Mary Tsaganis, Alkis Gerassimou and Angela Nicolettou for their photographs of the event. He can be contacted via email – jimclaven@yahoo.com.au
Achilles Kalanis (centre) with the Aegean Trio get into the groove.
Dining and Cooking