VIC Premier The Andrews Labor Government has welcomed the return of Australia’s leading culinary event, the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, to the state’s major events calendar. After the 2020 festival did not proceed due to the global pandemic, the 2021 festival includes an expanded program throughout the year across Melbourne and regional Victoria. Now in its 29th year, the festival kicks off today with the World’s Longest Lunch at Treasury Gardens with more than 1,650 people set to enjoy dishes from local masters Stephanie Alexander, Philippe Mouchel and Jacques Reymond. Guests will be supplied with a hit-list of post-lunch city bars to experience, which will help spread the benefits of the event to CBD businesses that are recovering steadily from the effects of the pandemic.