Since his early beginnings as a cook, making it onto Top Chef Canada and opening a successful restaurant in Paris, Ontario, Chef William Thompson continues to build a strong reputation for himself in the Canadian culinary scene.
Thompson, who originally hails from Caledonia, settled in Paris with his family around nine years ago and detailed his start as a cook.
“I worked at my high school’s cafeteria [and] the chef there [helped me] get set up with working at a local restaurant where I then did co-op…after high school, I went to university for a year, and during that time I was also working nights at a pub, which I loved…I would continue with chef college at Niagara College, [and] from there worked at some private clubs including a private golf club in Flamborough,” he recalled. “Then I opened a small restaurant up in Minden [and] worked there for a few years. I would get a chance to work at one of Canada’s top spas…called Ste. Anne’s Spa. The chef I worked under, Christopher Ennew, became my mentor [and] was a culinary Olympian…competing in 1998 and 2002.”
However, Thompson would get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be on a popular culinary show that would open doors for him in his career.
“I worked at Ste. Anne’s Spa for six years [and] cooked for a lot of celebrities. I also got a chance to travel to Italy [and] worked under some amazing Michelin star chefs, and it got me to the point where I went on TV. I competed on season two of Top Chef Canada on the Food Network. That was an incredible experience…I got to meet and connect with some amazing people,” he said. “It set the tone for the next 12 years of my life, which is what got me Stillwaters…I just let my hard work dictate my life, and someone [eventually] took a chance and lent me some money to open the restaurant. And the rest, they say, is history.”
Thompson would team up with Paris-based restauranter Matt Cummings, who himself operates a popular pub called the Cobblestone Public House, to open up the Stillwaters in 2013.
“We’re coming up on our 12th anniversary. Matt is a great business partner. He handles most of the front-of-the-house stuff. And we also have a great staff that have been with us the whole way [so] our core hasn’t changed. I have my GM Michael Spencer; I have two cooks…my sous chef, Rick, and another cook, Bailey…and I have two servers Kim and Christine…all of whom have been with me since day one,” he said. “We’ve been fortunate to be recognized through the years with various awards which is a testament to the team’s hard work. We just got announced as a top 100 restaurant for a romantic destination in Canada [and] we’ve been on a top 100 list for best patios too.”
Despite the early hardships during the first few years of operating Stillwaters, Thompson and his team persevered.
“For the first few years, Matt and I struggled. We both had to work 24/7, so there were stretches where I’d work several months straight just to keep it going and to make sure everything was perfect…because all eyes are on you…it was hard, but we’re still going strong. We have done well because we have kept things simple while buying good products…I buy some of the best salmon you can get in the country [as well as] great Lake Erie pickerel,” explained Thompson. “I also purchase quality meats [including] an upper two-thirds steak that we cut in house…it makes a difference when things aren’t mechanically cut. I cut all the strips myself [and] I know the thickness that I’m going to get [and] see the amount of marbling that’s in the steak…I do my best to give the customer a good product made in-house.”
Along with running the restaurant, Thompson continues to be involved in various competitions, including the prestigious IKA/Culinary Olympics that will be taking place in four years time.
“I recently got selected to compete as part of Canada’s catering team for the IKA/Culinary Olympics in Stuttgart, Germany in 2028. It’s held every four years just like the summer and winter Olympics [and] I’m pretty excited about it. But, before we go to Germany, we have to go to Luxembourg in November 2026, and to do a World Cup competition there. It’s a warm up competition before the Olympics…called Expogast…[and leading up to that] we are meeting up every couple of months [and] practicing for a few days as well as practicing at our own facilities,” he noted.
Thompson and the Canadian team will be supported by a star-studded cast of chefs.
“Chef Olaf Martin, who is with Niagara College, will be supporting us and he has helped me when I first started judging myself. Christopher Ennew will be there [as an equipment manager and] John Cirillo, another culinary Olympian, will be our head coach. He owns a culinary school in Toronto [and] that’s where we’re going to be practicing,” he said. “David Franklin, who used to be the corporate chef for Cisco [is] our team manager. And Ted Reader, who is a famous chef [originally hailing from Paris] will be supporting us during our practices. These are people I’ve looked up to for a long time and it’s very exciting for them to be with us, and helping us.”
Nevertheless, Thompson and his Olympic team will be looking for additional support through sponsorships.
“We just signed on Saputo cheese as one of our big sponsors [and] we’re going to be out in the community trying to help raise money for the team to go. It’s all nonprofit…no one gets paid [so] we’re going have to do some fundraising, and will be hosting some events too. We have an event happening at Stillwaters in May 2024,” he said. “It’s going to be on our rooftop patio [and] there’s going to be a bunch of different celebrity chefs there. They’re all going to be cooking [and] we will be serving appetizer meals. We are looking forward to our guests mingling and having a good time, while we get a chance to get some support.”
However, while Thompson gets ready for the IKA/Culinary Olympics, he will continue to focus on the Stillwaters during a downtown revitalization in Paris.
“We’re making sure that our business is going to be viable through the hard times coming up in a few months during this revitalization….I believe that downtown Paris is going to be absolutely stunning when it’s done, but it’s going to be hard in the meantime,” he said. “And then Matt and I are planning on revitalizing Stillwaters too; we’re ordering new awnings for our rooftop and getting new patio furniture this year [and] just trying to look at making things beautiful for our customers.”
