David Hawksworth

Where They Are Now

The dining room and kitchen at Hawksworth Restaurant have been shaped by David Hawksworth’s position as owner and chef since 2011. The role reflects a broader method: local ingredients interpreted through European training, then presented with the polish expected of contemporary fine dining. The emphasis is on intention. Each element is there to do a job, and the plate is built to feel considered without tipping into excess. The plainest statement of that ethic comes in Hawksworth’s own words. “The number one thing I hate is bad food – there’s just no reason for it – food doesn’t need to be fancy but the simplest dish can be the most incredible thing.” For a working chef, that is less a line than a standard. It puts the focus on execution, on respect for the ingredient, and on refusing decoration when the work itself can carry the plate. There is room for elegance in that view, but no patience for vanity.

In Their Words “The number one thing I hate is bad food – there’s just no reason for it – food doesn’t need to be fancy but the simplest dish can be the most incredible thing.” This is a practical yardstick. With David Hawksworth, the measure is not embellishment but accuracy: a dish works when every component earns its place and nothing distracts from the food. The phrase points to a cook who values rigor, clarity, and the discipline to make something direct land with force. “Using my European-trained technical ability while still focusing on local as much as possible to best showcase Canadian cuisine in a very contemporary way.” This describes the structure of the cooking itself. European training supplies the technique, local sourcing anchors the ingredient base, and Contemporary Canadian cuisine is the outcome of bringing those parts together without overstatement. In Hawksworth’s terms, the goal is a modern expression of place — controlled, precise, and present-tense.