- Chef William-Allen Peterson Culinary Arts Foundation

Chef Will’s Bio

Executive Chef William-Allen Peterson AS, BS

“Cooking is a craft; I like to think, and a good cook is a craftsman – not an artist. There’s nothing wrong with that: the great cathedrals of Europe were built by craftsmen – though not designed by them. Practicing your craft in an expert fashion is noble is honorable and satisfying.”

~ Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly

As the Executive Chef for the flagship Foxcroft Wine Company Waverly restaurant, I am responsible for directing culinary innovation with Group Executive Chef Justin Solomon. A Virginia native, I’ve worked and cooked professionally in restaurant kitchens for half my life and have an unrelenting passion for the culinary craft and cooking great food. I’m on an endless culinary journey inspired by the creativity of melded flavors.

I spent my youth with the love of my mother Pamela, in our family kitchen, also cooking and baking with my maternal and paternal grandmothers. My culinary journey has always centered around cooking meals for family, friends and customers who showed their appreciation with clean plates, warm smiles and kind complements. I have fine dining, catering, buffet, BBQ and pizza shop experience in intermediate and small sized kitchens and perhaps most enjoyed my time cooking for clients at remote outdoor sites locations engaged in premium experiential shooting sports activities. I’ve cooked for small intimate client gatherings and off-road racing teams in the deep forests of the Blue Ridge Mountains and “King of the Hammers” in the California desert.

I’m a Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte Class of “17” graduate, earning both AS and BS degrees in Culinary Sciences. I continue to gain invaluable real world kitchen experience, and I’m inspired by working with accomplished and uncompromising Executive Chef’s. Each has contributed to my obsession with creating Farm-to-Fork dishes, American tapas and charcuterie from simple fresh ingredients that take our guests pallets on a rollercoaster flavor ride. I concentrate on bringing out the inherent natural essence of fresh vegetables and proteins in my dishes, using non-traditional seasoning in just the right amounts to create a savory dining experience.

I’m particularly fond of creating Forest-to-Fork wild game dishes using locally grown produce, regional fish, fowl and flavor packed proteins such as wild boar, venison, elk, and antelope. Foxcroft-Waverly’s uniquely equipped kitchen affords me the opportunity to work on mastering cookery with live fire on the Spanish made Josper charcoal grill-oven. Live open fire is a professional cooking challenge requiring diligence that consistently yields incredibly sumptuous depths of flavors.

My mission at Foxcroft-Waverly is simply to create delicious dishes, lead an inspired back-of-the-house team to cook and present exceptional dining experiences for customers who grace our tables. We appreciate their trust and confidence in the Foxcroft culinary and wine brand.