The amazing benefits of Melbourne’s culinary culture

Building relationships, fostering ideas, enhancing wellbeing over a meal.

Socialising or doing business over coffee or a meal is central to city life. Melbourne’s enviable culinary culture gives us more than great food – it gives us opportunities to connect. But what makes the relaxed atmosphere of a shared table such a powerful setting for communication and creativity?

In the digital age, much of our day is spent looking at screens. In 2003, the average attention span was two-and-a-half minutes. Recent research shows it’s now just 44 seconds. The culprit? A life dominated by digital devices.

Children are being trained to use screens from an early age – in school and at home – and attention spans are shrinking. Adults fare no better. Take a tram ride and you’ll see nearly every passenger staring at a phone rather than engaging with those around them. “Rapid jumping,” a term used to describe the constant switching between online distractions, leads to brain overload and poorer memory retention.

As a former teacher, I’ve seen the impact firsthand. When I began teaching, lessons were simple – chalkboard, pen and paper, and focused attention. My goal was to foster critical thinking, creativity, and character. Today, while technology offers new learning tools, it also fragments focus and weakens our ability to think deeply.

When I was growing up in the 1950s, there was no internet – but there was the dining table. It was the heart of our home and the centre of learning. Dinner was a “not to be missed” event where the family came together to eat, debate the day’s news, and share experiences. That tradition taught me communication, curiosity, and empathy.

When television arrived in 1956, even that required balance – our neighbour, the first in the area to own a TV, set up a roster so families could watch together a few times a week. Technology was shared, not consuming.

By age 10, I had found my calling in the kitchen. Cooking for my family became an act of love, and my apprenticeship came from watching older relatives and neighbours. Being of Middle Eastern heritage, I learned treasured recipes passed down through generations – recipes I still teach and share with joy.

My belief in the shared dining table remains as strong as ever. Food brings people together, enhances wellbeing, and strengthens relationships. This was reaffirmed recently at our Residents 3000 AGM, where we decided to hold our first meeting over a meal. Gathered around a member’s table, we swapped stories, shared ideas, and discovered how naturally collaboration flows when conversation is paired with good food.

Science supports what we’ve long known intuitively – storytelling and face-to-face conversation stimulate multiple parts of the brain, improving empathy, emotional connection, and cognitive function. When we engage with others in person, our brains synchronise – we learn better, think more creatively, and feel more connected.

Technology can inform and connect us, but it cannot replace genuine human interaction. The storytelling tradition, whether around a table or in a meeting, remains vital. It strengthens language, passes on culture, and nurtures belonging – especially for children learning who they are and where they come from.

For me, the dining table is where I learned to listen, to share, and to understand the world. It shaped who I am.

So, my advice is simple: share meals often. Put the screens aside. Take time to talk, listen, and connect. The benefits go far beyond the food on your plate.

Next Forum 3000: November 6, 6pm for a 6.30pm start
Kelvin Club, 14-30 Melbourne Place

Topic: Living safely in a Strata Community

Details: residents3000.org.au

Meet the newly elected committee:

Rafael Camillo – President; Sue Saunders – Vice-President; Lyn Gazal – Secretary; Richard Grace – Treasurer; Artur Hadja – Events; Joy Popovska; Arman Rashid; Michael Kennedy; Peter Nevile; Peter Taylor; Andrew Stephanetti; Elise Simonovski. •