Hayden Smissen

Hayden Smissen, Chef
Whole Foods Market/South Lake Union, Seattle, WA

Whole Foods Market, South Lake Union

Growing up in kitchens since the time he could walk, Hayden was immersed in the Mexican and Cuban cuisine of his family and would often nap under the counter of his grandparent’s restaurant. At the age of 15 he left Seattle for Spain and began his career cooking in Barcelona and Cadaques. At the age of 18 he opened his first restaurant with his father in California’s Bay Area. Eventually making his way home to Seattle, he cooked at Cafe Alexis and opened The Painted Table, honing his craft alongside culinary visionaries Jerry Traunfeld and Emily Moore. For much of the 90’s he was Chef at the iconic Still Life Coffeehouse in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle. In 2000 Hayden found himself at Whole Foods Market and was blown away by the quality and variety of everyday and rare ingredients. Immediately finding his home within the company, 14 years later he is currently the Marketing and Events Chef at Whole Foods Market South Lake Union where he cooks for Seattle Metro community events for organizations like FareStart, Solid Ground, and Seattle Tilth, to name a few.

“Food to me is the deepest expression of love, and that is true to my core. How wonderfully lucky I am to be able to cook for people from the bottom of my heart every single day.”