“If there’s anything that’s constant here, it’s change,” says owner Jim Corcoran. “The next big thing will be a total transformation of the food experience at Ste. Anne’s. Hiring a chef of Jeffrey’s calibre is the most important step in that direction. He’s creative, ambitious and visionary, fitting in perfectly with our team.”

 

Chef Wilfong brings two decades of experience to his new position. After formal training at George Brown Culinary School in Toronto, he worked in many different areas of the hospitality industry, including private clubs, resorts, embassies and restaurants, where he has cooked for dignitaries, including the Royal family, the Lord Mayor of London and past Prime Ministers of Canada and Presidents of the United States. His passion is farm-to-table cuisine, designing menus and dishes that take full advantage of seasonal foods.

 

“The opportunity Ste. Anne’s presented to me was impossible to resist, to create a new atmosphere in the kitchen, to be part of the dynamics of health and wellness, to design my own kitchen, harvest from the gardens, have a cooking school, prepare private dinners in the spa cottages and interact with guests. It’s an exciting new chapter in my career,” Chef Wilfong says.

 

Incorporating health and wellness in his cooking has been important personally as well as professionally. Although he was trained as a classical French chef, he now incorporates nutritional analysis in his cuisine and embraces health-conscious trends and techniques-without sacrificing taste and texture-such as reducing or eliminating butter or heavy cream and substituting with coconut butter, cashew milk or almond milk. He is using all the bounty of Ste. Anne’s herb and vegetable gardens in transforming and updating the cuisine at the spa, whether in creating new daily menus, upgrading the corporate dining experience or making improvements to private dining in the spa cottages.

 

“I’m very conscious of what people need and want on their plates,” he says. “They may be looking for food that is gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan…and sometimes they want something that is just plain decadent.”

 

Ste. Anne’s Spa, located on more than 400 acres of scenic countryside, offers guests more than 35 rejuvenating spa services, first-class amenities and delicious, seasonal cuisine. The accommodations are beautifully appointed, ranging from private cozy cottages to spacious suites in the main inn.