Meet the Chef!
Mark Hannell – Head Chef | Melbourne
My obsession for the hospitality industry started when I was a lost 20 year old party kid who had just moved to London, I luckily landed a job within the ottolenghi group, where I stayed for 5 years. That changed my life forever.
I moved to Melbourne in 2013 to try (but fail) to get a sun tan, I worked for some really influential chefs and fell in love with the ever evolving Australian food scene.
The sun tan/lying by the beach all day dream grew stronger so I moved to Byron bay (sun tan still failed, alas my fair English complexion), and I just had to work for the Ducks. Their food philosophy rang so true with me ‘head to tail, root to leaf, paddock to plate & reduce, reuse, recycle’. Easy words to say but, inspiringly they practice what they preach daily. They took me under their wing nurturing my growth as a chef and tolerating my cheeky ways.
A couple of years into my time at the ducks, Darren (my favourite owner, sorry Jeff. Jokes, I love you all equally) approached me and my partner about a space they wanted to turn into a modern wine bar, and as of that day ‘Oma’ was born.
Natural wines all made by female winemakers, banging cocktails and local produce turned into simple but tasty dishes. Hand made sourdough, grilled steaks, anchovies, small plates, larger plates and a killer team of superstars that I had the privilege to lead as my first head chef gig…and most importantly, the ramen eggs!
Now I’ve been given the opportunity to head up the Melbourne kitchen, where I want to share my passion and love for the industry and the Ducks. I’m excited to use the wood fired oven to create dishes full of flavour and texture whilst using the core fundamentals of the Duck’s ethos and style.
Book in a feed at the Ducks in Melbourne HERE