Daniel Hayward

My passion for cooking began, of course, with family gatherings that were always centered around amazing food.  And, I distinctly remember a cooking class in 2nd grade that really set the wheels in motion for a lifetime love of culinary arts.  

I started working in restaurants when I was 14 and thus began a career in Hospitality and Beverage that would span nearly 20 years taking me from bus boy to Assistant General Manager to fine dining.  

I was honored to serve as a Peace Corp volunteer (Russia 2001-2002), which tapped into my passion for traveling and seeing the world.  In the words of Mark Twain – “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness”

And, then I set sail as a Spice Merchant with Savory Spice in 2005!  I began as a part time employee and partnered with the founders to open the Boulder location in 2008.  I truly enjoyed the Boulder community and was grateful to be part of a thriving “foodie” town.  During my 13 years running the shop there I made it my objective to make as many partnerships as possible and my space was a great gathering place for many.  I taught a myriad of cooking classes in the shop and enjoyed some off-site cooking classes, as well.  I especially enjoyed cooking with kids at Growing Gardens in North Boulder.  

I stepped down from day-to-day operations at Savory Spice at the end of 2021 to spend more time with our 2+ year old son.  I most enjoy having him with me in the kitchen nearly every day and he loves exploring new and interesting flavors with different foods.  I think the importance of learning to cook at an early age is paramount to a lifetime of enjoyment in the kitchen.