Hayden Ellis is a Kiwi-born chef and a lover of local farming, foraging and worldly flavours. From his roots, cooking in Queenstown in NZ to London in the UK, Hayden has now planted his seeds firmly on the Mornington Peninsula. Soaking up the diverse offerings the land and sea have to offer, the dishes being created in the Ten Minutes by Tractor kitchen by Hayden and the team really display their passion for food and the land.

Hayden has been cooking for seventeen years, nine of them in Victoria. He started his journey cooking in a large hotel in Queenstown.

After starting as a kitchen hand, he decided to undertake his apprenticeship and was quickly promoted to Breakfast Chef. He quickly developed a passion for food and cooking, which led him on a journey working with some of the world’s top chefs including Simon Rogan, Brett Graham and Heston Blumenthal at some of the best restaurants in the world, including The Fat Duck and the Ledbury in the UK, and Dinner by Heston, Vue de Monde and Bistro Guillaume in Melbourne.

Hayden’s menu evolves and changes with the seasons and is driven by creating a powerful connection between food, wine and nature. He makes use of the highest quality seasonal and local ingredients and handles them with passion and creativity. Vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers are grown in the fertile soils of the Mornington Peninsula and accompany the finest produce sourced from near and far.

Hayden believes in focusing on sustainable food that is considerate to our environment, where ingredients are sourced, how it has been grown or farmed, and when and how it is harvested. This all comes together to form a story that he is very passionate about.