Caviar toasties, a dumpling festival and a whole lot of strawberries; Queen Victoria Market just got a serious glow-up.
Melbourne’s produce scene is shaking off winter, and Queen Victoria Market is kicking things off with The Spring Series, a season-long run of new food, culture and market events.
Running from 1 September through to 30 November, The Spring Series turns the historic market sheds into a rotating hub of festivals, tastings and limited-edition dishes, all while the fresh produce stalls fill back up for the warmer months.
First up is a genuinely wild spring special from RIPE Cheese, the team behind the market’s cult-favourite truffle toastie.
Their new creation, Melbourne’s Most Caviar Toastie, piles 25 grams of Petuna Tasmanian trout caviar onto thick-cut brioche with Japanese-style egg salad, mozzarella, Long Paddock fromage frais, chives and crushed salt-and-vinegar crisps. It’ll set you back $26, and only 50 are made each week, available Fridays to Sundays only.
The Spring Series – Queen Victoria Market
- Melbourne’s Most Caviar Toastie – Fridays to Sundays, 23 October to 29 November
- CRFT*WRK craft market – 5 September, 3 October and 28 November
- Melbourne Donut Festival – 17 and 18 October
- Oktoberfest Pinoy – 24 and 25 October
- Melbourne International Dumpling Festival – 2 November, 12pm to 10pm
- Swap Meet – 1 November
- Coffee Festival – 7 and 8 November
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
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Beyond the toastie, the market’s stallholders are stocking up for the season, with mandarins, grapefruit, mushrooms, spring onions and radishes joining strawberries, artichokes, asparagus, Asian greens and zucchini on the produce tables.
The butchers are bringing back spring lamb and barbecue-ready cuts, while the fishmongers, delis, cheesemongers and bakeries are gearing up for a season of picnics and long lunches.
On the events front, things kick off with the Melbourne Donut Festival, bringing together the city’s top donut makers under one roof for a weekend dedicated entirely to fried dough. A week later, Oktoberfest Pinoy puts a Filipino spin on the classic German celebration, with free entry, live music and entertainment alongside food and cold beer.
November brings the big one: the Melbourne International Dumpling Festival, a single-day event covering everything from momo and gyoza to pierogi, khinkali, manti and ravioli, plus live chef demos and tastings.
The same month, Australia’s biggest filter coffee tasting event returns with more than 40 roasters from Australia and overseas pouring their latest brews, and collectors can dig through cards and memorabilia from more than 45 exhibitors at the Swap Meet.
Rounding things out, CRFT*WRK – curated by the crew behind The Rose St. Artists’ Market – pops up across the season, filling the open-air sheds with locally made craft and one-of-a-kind wares from independent makers.
Entry to The Spring Series is free, with the full calendar running across the market’s sheds and stalls through to the end of November.
For more information, head here.
This article was made in partnership with Queen Victoria Market.
