Hayden Quinn

Did You Know?

• Quinn was named Cleo Bachelor of the Year in 2012.
• He holds a Certificate III and Certificate IV in Fitness (Master Trainer, AIF) and a Certificate III Nutrition Coach (AIF).

Career

Hayden Quinn is an Australian cook, surfer, lifeguard, marine biologist, food writer, and TV personality. He first gained national recognition on MasterChef Australia, finishing sixth in Series 3 in 2011. He returned for MasterChef Australia All-Stars in 2012, eliminated in the 10th round, and again for MasterChef Australia: Back to Win in 2020, where he was eliminated in the fifth week. Since 2020, Quinn has presented, written, and executive produced eight seasons of Taste of Australia with Hayden Quinn for Boomtown Pictures.

Each episode sees him visiting local growers, farmers, food producers, fishers, wineries, artisans, and small food companies, including Indigenous Australians. He often helps out and cooks a dish outdoors on a portable Weber barbecue, telling the story of where Australian food comes from. He plans to complete 10 seasons, and later episodes reference Our Cow, a direct-to-consumer meat subscription service. In 2014, he hosted The Dinner Project on Foxtel's LifeStyle Food, living with six families and creating simple meal plans focused on skills, budget, time, nutrition, and healthy eating.

That same year, he hosted the 13-part Hayden Quinn South Africa on SABC 3, touring food producers and conservation projects to highlight sustainable farming, fishing, and animal welfare. In 2016, he co-hosted Surfing the Menu - Next Generation with Dan Churchill, traveling Australia to combine surfing and food. In 2017, he served as a judge on Season 1 of Family Food Fight (Australia) on the Nine Network. In 2024, he competed on Dancing with the Stars (Australia) with professional partner Lily Cornish, eliminated second.

Quinn has written two printed cookbooks, Dish It Up (2013) and Surfing the Menu (2016), plus two e-cookbooks. He contributes recipes and travel stories to delicious magazine and taste.com.au, and has written illustrated travel guides to five Australian and five international destinations. He hosted the podcast The Roving Mic in 2018-2019. His business ventures include Kooks Wines, The Cube Gym, Hard Fizz, Studio Maybe, and TC Pro, and he has been a brand ambassador for Jeep Australia for nearly 15 years.

He is a Starlight Children's Foundation ambassador since 2011, a LifeChanger Foundation ambassador since 2018, and started the Vipers Run Club for men's mental health in 2018. Quinn grew up in Sydney's Northern Beaches, holds a marine biology degree, and is a professional lifeguard. He married American model Jax Raynor in 2023.