By Jacqui Bialocki
The Mornington Peninsula has long been admired for its rolling vineyards, pristine coastline and exceptional produce. Now it welcomes a culinary talent whose global experience is reshaping what regional dining can be.
Photo: Amber Gardener
At just 31, internationally acclaimed chef Craig Lunn has taken the helm at Ten Minutes by Tractor, bringing with him more than 15 years of experience in some of the world’s most respected kitchens. From the UK and Europe to Japan and Denmark, Craig’s career has been shaped by time in Michelin Star restaurants under culinary heavyweights including Gordon Ramsay and Alain Ducasse – experience rarely seen on the Peninsula and never quite like this.
For Craig, the move south wasn’t driven by prestige but by potential. “I was looking for something different, a place where I could create truly memorable moments,” he said. “The Peninsula offers extraordinary produce: truffles, cheeses, seafood, exceptional meats, pristine fruit and vegetables. Add to that the opportunity to explore using local botanicals and native flora and it becomes a chef’s playground.”
Photos: Amber Gardener
Raised in the southwest of England, Craig felt an immediate connection to the Peninsula’s agricultural heartbeat. “It reminds me of home: endless fields, a deep respect for the land, and a strong farming culture. That connection really matters to me.”
It’s a philosophy that aligns seamlessly with Ten Minutes by Tractor, where food, wine and place have always been inseparable. Since opening in 2006, the restaurant has championed provenance and seasonality, creating dining experiences shaped by the land of Main Ridge and the people who farm it.
“Great cooking starts in the soil,” Craig said. “When you know the farmer, the field and the season, you’re already halfway to a beautiful dish.”
That belief is quite literally cultivated next door. The restaurant’s regenerative farm supplies the kitchen daily with vegetables, herbs and edible flowers, creating a direct and constant dialogue between land and plate. Under Craig’s leadership, that relationship has become sharper, more expressive and more intentional than ever.
Photos: Amber Gardener
His cooking style is refined yet grounded, technically assured, globally informed and deeply respectful of local ingredients. Each dish reflects the character of the Peninsula, guided by seasonality and executed with quiet confidence.
Asked about a favourite dish right now, Craig points to the opening bites of the menu, a carefully choreographed introduction to the experience. Think spanner crab choux buns, aged beef tartare with miso crème fraîche and black potato crisp, and a tuna tart with nori and finger lime, perfectly paired with sparkling wine. From the first mouthful, the intent is clear.
What’s new for Craig is the opportunity to shape dishes alongside the wines from the very beginning. “Knowing the vineyards and the sites changes the creative process. The dish becomes another expression of the same landscape.”
Photos: Amber Gardener
That dialogue is elevated further with the return of head sommelier Noah Rozenfeld, whose refined pairing program places provenance at its core, and front of house lead Kobi Watson, whose warmth and precision define the dining room. Together they usher Ten Minutes by Tractor into a compelling new chapter, one where global expertise meets Peninsula soul, and where Craig Lunn’s world-class vision redefines what regional dining can be.
The result is not simply a destination for a meal but a place for moments worth returning to again and again.
