Windfall for businesses as the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival comes to Dandenong

Thursday, 3 December 2009

VicUrban and the City of Greater Dandenong are predicting a customer windfall for local businesses, having secured Dandenong’s participation in the 2010 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. 

As a result, literally busloads of food lovers will travel from Melbourne’s Federation Square to sample Dandenong’s renowned culinary delights during the March 13-20 event. 

Famous for its world food offer, Dandenong will be hosting three distinctive tours;

The Little India Tour, the Afghan Bazaar Tour and the World of Food Passport Tour.  All tours will include a visit to the Dandenong Market which is currently undergoing a $26 million redevelopment.

Dandenong MP John Pandazopoulos has been working closely with VicUrban and Council to secure Dandenong’s inclusion in the 2010 Festival.

“This is a wonderful way to showcase Dandenong’s culinary treasures to the rest of Melbourne and beyond.  I’m particularly delighted to hear that renowned chef Tony Tan will be leading one of the tours,” Mr Pandazopoulos said.

 “Given my previous experience as Minister for Major Events and Tourism I know that participating in the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival will bring new customers through the doors of central Dandenong businesses,” he said. 

The Revitalising Central Dandenong partners believe the much loved and widely promoted Festival will do wonders for local business.

“The $290 million Revitalising Central Dandenong initiative is about building on Dandenong’s existing strengths and this Festival will shine light on the fantastic food on offer here,” said VicUrban’s Development Director, Michael King.

“The Festival will bring people to Dandenong who might otherwise never visit the capital of Melbourne’s south-east.  There is every reason to believe that some of the people coming to Dandenong for the first time on one of these tours will become repeat visitors and customers,” he said.

City of Greater Dandenong Mayor, Jim Memeti, said the Festival would help entrench Dandenong as a must-visit destination for food lovers.

 “The Festival is the ideal way to tell Melbourne and the world what us locals have known for years; Dandenong is unrivalled as a place for great tasting, fresh and great value food,” Mr Memeti said.   

Melbourne Food and Wine Festival Creative Director - Cultural, Tony Tan said VicUrban and the City of Greater Dandenong mounted an irresistible case for including the city in the 2010 Festival.

“The hugely successful City of Greater Dandenong Foodlovers and Cultural tours demonstrate to me that there are already partnerships and marketing know-how in place to cater for the visitors who will descend on Dandenong during and after the Festival,” Mr Tan said. 

Dandenong businesses already participating in Council’s Foodlovers and Cultural tours will take part in the festival and additional businesses have been selected after visits to Dandenong by the Melbourne Food and Wine Committee.

The 2010 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival will take place from 13 - 20 March, with tickets on sale from 8 December.  Please visit www.foodandwine.com.au or call The Drum Theatre - on 9771 6666 - to book for the Dandenong tours.

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Michael Horkings
Communications Manager
Ph: (03) 8317 3542
Mb: 0403 607 691
Michael.Horkings@VicUrban.vic.gov.au