Village Feast

A tiny Gippsland dairy-farming town of just 500 people will turn into a thriving culinary destination on Saturday 16 March as part of the 2019 Melbourne Food & Wine Festival presented by Bank of Melbourne.

On sale today, The Village Feast will see Melbourne restaurants, cafés and bars merge with local Gippsland culinary stars, producers and winemakers to give event-goers the ultimate gastronomic experience. Located just one hour from Melbourne, Jindivick is a picturesque small town with breathtaking views of Gippsland's rolling green hills and rich, undulating farmland.

Chef and restaurateur Matt Moran joins an all-star Victorian line-up to bring the trappings of a heritage country Victorian streetscape to life, from the butcher's shop and green grocer to milk bar and Chinese restaurant. Highlights include Matt Moran teaming up with Sue Goodwin, who runs the only cafe in town, to design a menu of simple country food while elsewhere Alejandro Saravia (Farmer's Daughters) will cook a whole cow on-site in 'bovinova' style over open flame in partnership with Gippsland Natural Beef.

At the town fair, kids will be kept entertained by fairground fun and competitions while stalls will offer retro treats like snow-cones, homemade cakes and fairy floss. Barn dancing competitions, meat raffles, CWA cake competitions and live music from Broads and more will keep everyone entertained throughout the day and night.

On Saturday 16 March, The Village Feast will feature:
The Bakery – Tamsin's Table Cake Shop (Korumburra, Gippsland)
The Bottle Shop – featuring Gippsland wines
The Butcher – Alejandro Saravia (Farmer's Daughters, Gippsland, and Pastuso, Melbourne)
The Café – Jindi Caf x Matt Moran collaboration
The Chinese Restaurant – Victor Liong (Lee Ho Fook, Melbourne)
The Deli and Smokehouse – Trevor Perkins (Hogget Kitchen, Warragul, Gippsland)
The Dispensary – Cocktails from Loch Brewery & Distillery (Loch, Gippsland) and Bad Frankie (Melbourne)
The Green Grocer – Shannon Martinez (Smith & Daughters and Smith & Deli, Melbourne)
The Milk Bar presented by The Weekly Times – Gippsland Jersey (Jindivick, Gippsland) and Jacican (Mirboo North, Gippsland)
The Pub
The Town Fair - fairground fun, hands-on activities, competitions and stalls offering retro treats for kids

Food + Wine Victoria CEO Anthea Loucas Bosha said, "We all have memories of our favourite food stops on long drives through the country, and The Village Feast will be the most delicious walk down memory lane.

"The tiny town of Jindivick will be transformed into a one-off food destination that's never been seen before – it's a very exciting first for the Festival.

"This is the perfect excuse to explore Gippsland, kicking off with the Regional World's Longest Lunch on Friday followed by glamping on a local dairy farm and all the magic of The Village Feast!"

The Village Feast Weekend

Visitors are encouraged to make a weekend of it by camping in style at The Village Feast glamping grounds set up by Under Sky on local dairy farm Gippsland Jersey. Campers can participate in the morning milking of the cows and get a glimpse into country life, while staying in luxurious comfort.

On Friday 15 March, chefs Mark Briggs (Sardine), Trevor Perkins (Hogget Kitchen) and Rob Turner (Northern Ground) will lead the Regional World's Longest Lunch at Lardner Park. Before The Village Feast kicks off on Saturday 16 March, drop into the Warragul Farmers Market to meet dozens of local producers. On Sunday 17 March, get to know Gippsland by visiting producers at their farm gates, cheeseries, wineries and breweries.

Latrobe Valley Authority CEO Karen Cain said, "Our region is renowned for its quality produce and we are proud to support Baw Baw Shire and Gippsland-based food and wine providers in this exciting opportunity to showcase the extensive range and quality of offerings from our rich agricultural region."

Mayor of Baw Baw Shire Cr Mikaela Power said, "We can't wait to welcome guests to this region so they can discover what we have always known – that we're home to Victoria's finest food and wine as well as world-class destinations, events and communities."

The Village Feast is possible due to the support of Baw Baw Shire and Latrobe Valley Authority.

Melbourne Food & Wine Festival is supported by Victoria's tourism and major events company Visit Victoria and naming rights partner Bank of Melbourne.

More information and tickets available at mfwf.com.au