The Mornington Peninsula’s first two-hatted restaurant, Ten Minutes by Tractor, has appointed Head Chef Craig Lunn to lead its next chapter.
Lunn brings more than a decade of global Michelin-starred restaurant experience to the role, with a resume featuring senior roles at Whatley Manor (2 Michelin Stars, Green Star) and Lunar by Niall Keating, where he led the team to Michelin Guide recognition within six months. He has also had stints in the kitchens of Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Kong Hans Kælder, and IDAM by Alain Ducasse.
“I was immediately drawn to Ten Minutes by Tractor’s philosophy and have known about the restaurant by reputation for many years – respect for produce, its connection to the Peninsula as a destination, and its pursuit of excellence,” says the chef.
“There is an incredible opportunity here to deepen the relationship between food and wine, to explore the wines our team produces, and to craft dishes that speak directly to this landscape.”
Lunn’s appointment coincides with owners Martin and Karen Spedding’s refresh of the restaurant, which now aims to centre wine and terroir, building on the estate’s philosophy of harmony between food, wine, and place.
Noah Rozenfeld (ex-Amaru, Circl) has also joined the team as new head sommelier. Kobi Watson leads service in the dining room.
Lunn and Rozenfeld’s appointments heralds a new era for the Speddings, who took on the property as three small vineyards in 2004, and have since grown it into a respected dining destination.
“Craig’s appointment represents an exciting moment and next step for us,” says Martin. “His international experience and refined approach to cooking perfectly aligns with our focus on creating a seamless experience from kitchen to cellar. Together with Noah and the broader team, he will guide Ten Minutes by Tractor into its next era.”
Lunn’s opening menu highlights the estate’s produce and the region’s significance alongside Rozenfeld’s Door to Door pairing. It includes a garden herb set custard paired with a 2024 Kerri Greens Citrea riesling; handmade tortellini with Moreton Bay bug and tarragon paired with 2025 Paradigm Hill Pinot Gris; and Black Opal Wagyu with fermented lettuce, date, and ssamjang alongside a retrospective of Ten Minutes by Tractor Coolart Road Pinot Noir from 2022, 2018, and 2013.
The chef takes over from Hayden Ellis, who led the kitchen for six years.
“I’m incredibly proud of everything the restaurant has achieved during that time,” wrote Ellis in a post on Instagram. “I’ve been fortunate to work alongside some of the most passionate, dedicated, and inspiring farmers, growers, producers, and hospitality professionals — and to serve so many amazing guests along the way.
“Big thanks to all the chefs and kitchen hands I’ve had the pleasure of working with in the 10x kitchen. You helped make it an awesome place to be every day. Hope you had as much fun — and learned as much — as I did!”
The venue has a storied past beginning in 1997 with three family-owned vineyards, all ten minutes by tractor apart. Martin took over the properties in 2004, and the Speddings opened the restaurant on Boxing Day in 2006. It has since received critical acclaim, including two hats from the Good Food Guide – the first restaurant on the Peninsula to do so. In early 2018 a fire destroyed the venue’s tasting room, restaurant, and 16,000 bottle wine cellar. Working with Cox Architecture, the Speddings created a new kitchen, six-seat chef’s table, private dining room, outdoor terrace, cellar door, and wine gallery, and relaunched in late 2019.
As the restaurant approaches its 20th anniversary, Lunn and the Speddings hope to continue the estate’s evolution and continue to innovate with wine and food through the lens of terroir and craftmanship.
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