Hayden is an accomplished chef and co-owner of Wellington’s celebrated restaurants Floridita's and Loretta. With nearly 20 years in the hospitality industry, Hayden’s journey began in Auckland, where he trained and cut his teeth in some of the city’s leading fine dining establishments, including Vinnies, The French Café, and Meredith’s. He quickly rose through the ranks, securing his first head chef role at Tribeca in Parnell at a young age—a testament to both his skill and New Zealand’s tendency to offer big opportunities to talent early on.

Hayden’s career has also taken him overseas. He led a large pop-up restaurant in San Francisco as head chef during the America’s Cup, overseeing a 120-seat operation with a team of 25 chefs—a “once in a lifetime experience.” He then spent six years in Melbourne, steering acclaimed venues such as The Roving Marrow and opening his own restaurant, Etta, with his wife Dominique.

Returning to New Zealand just before the pandemic, Hayden and Dominique joined forces with James and Julie to take the helm of Floridita's. Despite the tumultuous timing, Hayden embraced the challenge, and through working with the Hospitality Company, he’s become a passionate advocate for best business practices in hospitality—emphasizing the importance of financial literacy, open-book management, and strategic leadership alongside culinary excellence.

As a THC Kitchen Coach, Hayden is focused on supporting Kitchen Managers, Head Chefs and Owners looking to streamline their kitchens and improve profitability with well structured menu engineering.