There’s a new vibe at Stone Willow’s Hillstone Restaurant
- 26 minutes ago
- 3 min read
By Stewart Grant
Life is a journey, with one step leading to another.
In the case of Andrew and Candice Neufeld, their career path has led quite naturally to their new roles at the Stone Willow Inn’s Hillstone Restaurant.
“We knew that there was going to be something that was coming in 2026; we just didn’t quite know what it was,” said Candice Neufeld, who described their spiritual journey after deciding to close the physical space for their previous business, Raise Your Vibe, in September of 2025.
Their perfect opportunity came in the form of the Hillstone Restaurant at Stone Willow Inn, where the local couple has teamed with chef Bruce Miller to run operations since Feb. 27.
With Andrew Neufeld as restaurant operator and Candice Neufeld in charge of marketing and events, both are embracing roles that encompass their years of related experience.
“I started at the Creamery when I was 19 as a dishwasher and realized pretty quickly I wanted to be out front,” said Andrew Neufeld. “So, I started bartending and serving there, finding my legs.”
In the years that followed, Andrew Neufeld gained a wealth of restaurant and hospitality experience, working in Stratford at Bentleys, then at The Old English Parlour (as it was then called), where he met his future wife. He then moved to Milestones in Guelph where he first took an interest in wines. Since then, the couple has lived in Cambridge, Kitchener and the Niagara Region, where Andrew Neufeld furthered his education in wines.
“We moved up to Niagara-on-the-Lake where I worked in wine production for a little while and continued to take more wine courses. I ended up getting a job at White Oaks Resort, where I learned a lot of middle management and banquet functions, and they would do 12 to 14 different functions at once, as well as run three restaurants. I was in charge of the wine and cocktail program for the whole hotel, which was a big undertaking, but a really great learning experience.”
Similar to her husband, Candice Neufeld is taking on a role at Hillstone that is an ideal next step in her career. She worked for 13 years in corporate at Maple Leaf Foods, starting out on the product development team in the sensory program and then shifting to the consumer insights team. The positions involved continuous testing of different tastes and concepts to best respond to the needs and wants of customers.
Hillstone’s new chef, Bruce Miller, also brings a wealth of experience from working in highly acclaimed kitchens from across the country, learning from each unique experience.
“His breadth of experience and knowledge just absolutely blows us away,” said Andrew Neufeld, who describes the new Hillstone as a chef-driven restaurant. “It’s really important to us that Bruce be able to be as creative as he wants to be. We have been foodies for a very long time. We’ve been to a lot of places and there’s just something about restaurants that celebrate the chef first that are just so unique and special.
“I would say what we’re leaning towards is a small plates restaurant, more of a tapas style, where you might order four different dishes and share it.”
While small plates may be the focus, Andrew Neufeld said full entrees will be on the menu as well to meet the needs of each customer.
Though the Hillstone name continues, the change in suffix from “Bar & Grill” to “Restaurant” is a choice that reflects the new atmosphere.
“The wine and cocktail program is going to be really important to us,” said Andrew Neufeld. “We’re working on specials to have a wine and dessert or cocktail and dessert. Chef Bruce’s desserts are amazing and are definitely something people should try.”
Hillstone Restaurant is located within the Stone Willow Inn at 940 Queen St. E, St. Marys. They are currently open for dinner on Tuesdays through Sundays, and reservations are recommended by calling 519-500-3441. To find Hillstone on social media, visit @hillstone.stmarys on Instagram or on Facebook by searching “Hillstone Restaurant.”
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