A FAMILY AFFAIR
Chefs and brothers Matt and Will Gaynor have both led busy kitchens for Stratford’s theatre crowd, and have both cooked alongside world-renowned chefs. At Seasoned, they come together to bring downtown Hamilton their fresh take on French-Italian inspired cuisine.
MEET OUR CHEFS
MEET OUR CHEFS
Matt Gaynor
Matt Gaynor
Matt’s passion for creating memorable dining experiences started as a dishwasher at former Stratford favourite Down The Street, then on to training at the world-renowned Stratford Chefs School, and a Sous Chef gig for three festival seasons at Stratford’s Pazzo Taverna.
During theatre off-seasons, he was inspired to broaden his culinary skills, setting off for Vancouver to work with acclaimed three-star Michelin pastry chef Thierry Busset. The experience motivated him to explore a multitude of cuisines to develop his own inimitable style and, in 2003, he moved to Turks and Caicos Islands to take over the kitchen at Aqua Bar and Terrace.
His return to Canada was as Executive Chef for the Stratford Festival of Canada where he built on the festival’s acclaimed fine cuisine experiences for the next four years. But island life was calling, and Matt once again moved to Turks and Caicos to lead the kitchen at Magnolia Restaurant and Wine Bar followed by Coco Bistro, both top restaurants in the Caribbean.
With the birth of his son in 2016, Matt moved back to Canada to fulfill his dream of opening Seasoned with his brother and fellow chef, Will.
Will Gaynor
Will Gaynor
Will’s culinary career began on a similar path to his brother Matt’s. After also graduating from the world-renowned Stratford Chefs School, he began pleasing the palettes of the busy theatre crowd at Pazzo Taverna in Stratford.
In 2005, he refined his culinary techniques during his apprenticeship in California at Oakland’s landmark Oliveto, under renowned chefs Paul Bertolli and Paul Canales. It’s there that he learned the classic techniques of traditional Italian charcuterie, whole butchery and handmade pastas. Will even had the opportunity to work a short stint at the iconic Chez Panisse in Berkeley, which pioneered farm-to-table cuisine.
Inspired, Will moved back to Stratford to teach the art of butchery, larder and charcuterie to the next generation of chefs at Stratford Chefs School while also bringing his fine dining credentials and creative inspirations to the kitchens of local niche restaurants around Southern Ontario.
Will now calls Flamborough his home, where he lives with his wife and Seasoned co-owner, Kristin Kusturin.
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