Ten Minutes by Tractor is opening its doors on Saturday after a fire destroyed the restaurant 19 months ago.
The Mornington Peninsula venue has been rebuilt under owners Martin and Karen Spedding, who worked with Cox Architecture to create a new kitchen, a six-seat chef’s table, private dining room and outdoor terrace. A new cellar door and wine gallery space will also open by the end of the year.
Adam Sanderson has been appointed executive chef after time at Andrew McConnell’s Cutler & Co and Guillaume Brahimi’s Bistro Guillaume. The chef’s 22-year career also saw him cook at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck and Rene Redzepi’s Noma.
Ten Minutes by Tractor will offer degustation menus alongside a la carte options, showcasing ingredients grown in the local area, with dishes including kangaroo en croute with caramelised cauliflower, black cherry and grilled greens and roast Eugowra quail with blueberry, beetroot, sickle pod and liquorice.
“Our menus will reflect what is available seasonably week to week from our local farmers and producers whom we work very closely and continuously with to build and grow strong relationships,” says Sanderson.
Chefs will also be foraging ingredients for dishes. “Our kitchen team forage and gather from the coastline, the rolling hills, and our kitchen garden in Main Ridge, which gives us the opportunity to discuss and generate ideas for dishes and continually evolve our menu,” says Sanderson.
Guests will be able to enjoy wine produced on the site along with wines from other producers.
“Our restaurant wine list will continue to provide an opportunity to explore the breadth and depth of wines and the varieties grown on the Mornington Peninsula and other premium cool climate regions in Australia and from around the world,” says Martin.
The new cellar door will offer guests wine tasting experiences and also house a gallery, which will showcase unique historical objects and documents detailing the Australian wine journey.
Image credit: Jason Loucas