Response from Host, Mar 2025

Hi Geoffrey, We appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts, and I’m sorry to hear the experience didn’t meet your expectations. I understand that you left the tour less than halfway through, and I’d like to explain how we share Melbourne's colourful history while still indulging in our Foodie Culture. To start, we offer a macaron and coffee to give guests a chance to relax, chat, and introduce themselves. This is typically placed early in the tour to set the tone for our time together. After that, we take a walk through Melbourne’s history, followed by two savoury tastings showcasing the city’s Asian influences—usually Vietnamese banh mi and Chinese dumplings. Many guests have commented that these are the highlights of the tour, but of course, tastes vary! We then take a restroom break at an Italian restaurant with a stunning dessert cabinet, allowing guests to explore a popular spot they might want to return to during their stay. Melbourne has over a thousand restaurants, so we can't taste them all, but we try to introduce guests to unique venues. After some more historical insight, we have two sweet tastings—Swedish and Italian—and finish with a drink at a popular laneway bar where guests can linger if they wish. I hope this clarifies the flow of the tour and gives you insight into what you would have experienced had you remained with us. Regarding the hearing devices, for smaller groups (1-10 people), we make a point of asking the group to gather close when we stop to chat to ensure everyone can hear. For larger groups (11 or more), where it can be difficult to get within earshot of our guide, we offer hearing devices to ensure everyone can fully participate. I do hope that, you still had a wonderful time in Melbourne and were able to enjoy the city’s vibrant Foodie Culture. Best regards, Andrew Owner-Walk Melbourne Tours