Celebrating Melbourne Food & Wine Festival’s Legends Hall of Fame.

Launched in 1993, the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival Legends Hall of Fame pays tribute to the leaders, groundbreakers and visionaries of Victoria’s food, drink and hospitality industry. It’s a chance to stop and recognise the significant contribution these individuals have made over the course of their careers. More than 150 Legends have been inducted into the Hall of Fame since the program began.

How it works

Each year, MFWF calls for nominations from the existing Legends Hall of Fame and the hospitality sector. To be nominated as a Legend, a person must demonstrate at least 15 years of service to the Victorian food and drink industry and an outstanding contribution to the industry through innovation or education, as well as a proven record in inspiring and informing the public on Victoria’s rich food and drink culture.

From the longlist, a panel of advisors from the industry, chaired by Legend emeritus Jill Dupleix, selects the year’s inductees to the Hall of Fame across five categories:

• Food Producer, Retailer, Advocate

• Communicator, Educator

• Drink Producer, Retailer, Advocate

• Chef, Restaurateur, Hospitality Professional

• Local Hero

To be nominated as a Trailblazer, a person must be 40 years of age or younger and have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the Victorian food and drink industry. The nominee must be professionally engaged in the Victorian food and drink trade – whether as a chef, sommelier, winemaker, journalist, caterer, producer, restaurateur, educator, retailer or another aspect of hospitality.

Photography and video: Kate Shanasy.

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