Cuisine Solutions

What Cuisine Solutions does

Cuisine Solutions is the world's largest sous vide food manufacturer, founded by Stanislas Vilgrain (with sous vide technology pioneered in 1971 by Chief Scientist Dr. Bruno Goussault). The company produces fully-cooked, vacuum-sealed proteins and accompaniments — including beef, poultry, pork/lamb/veal, seafood, egg bites, sauces, pasta, sides, and plant-based items — using precision-controlled low-temperature pasteurization that yields up to 18 months of frozen shelf life and 10-15% higher moisture retention than conventional cooking. Operations span six facilities: Sterling, Virginia (corporate headquarters since 2014), Alexandria, Virginia, San Antonio, Texas (LEED-certified, named Food Engineering Magazine's 2021 Sustainable Plant of the Year), Louviers, France, Bangkok and Chonburi, Thailand, plus a new Normandy site in Saint-Aubin-sur-Gaillon groundbreaking March 2026. The firm runs wholly-owned subsidiaries including the CREA Culinary Research & Education Academy (training 80%+ of 3-star Michelin chefs globally) and CS DAK Dark Assembly Kitchens.

The business operates across B2B foodservice, retail/private-label, military/government, and direct-to-consumer channels. Commercial customers include 35,000+ restaurants, 4,000+ hotel properties, 7 of the top 10 global airlines, and 3,500+ retail stores; named enterprise references include Starbucks (custom Sous Vide Egg Bites), Costco (Kirkland Signature private label), Marriott International, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Jersey Mike's, and the U.S. Military. Retail expansion is led by the Sear & Serve™ DTC line (launched November 2025 at select Costco and online), the Café + Teria K-12 school lunch program, and the CS DAK ghost-kitchen consultancy. Pricing is quote-based with multi-year enterprise contracts and no minimum spend.

In June 2022, Cuisine Solutions received a $250 million growth investment from Bain Capital to scale manufacturing, strengthen supply chains, accelerate innovation, and fund international expansion. Leadership includes Stanislas Vilgrain as Chairman and Founder, Felipe Hasselmann as President and CEO (EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023 US National Award winner), Gerard Bertholon as Chief Strategy Officer, Hervé Chignon as COO, James Chen as Chief Supply Chain Officer, Miguel Franco as CCO, and Mark O'Donnell as EVP/CFO. Dr. Bruno Goussault holds the Chief Scientist role and has been honored via the Albert Einstein Legacy Project's Genius: 100 Visions of the Future. The company remains privately held with filings/ticker symbols inconsistent across sources; the available data leans toward private status post-Bain investment.

Name

Cuisine Solutions

Legal name

Cuisine Solutions

Website

https://cuisinesolutions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Cuisine Solutions is the world's largest sous vide food manufacturer, producing fully-cooked vacuum-sealed proteins, egg bites, sauces, and sides for restaurant chains, hotels, airlines, retailers, and military customers, with operations across the US, France, and Thailand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sous Vide Prepared Foods Manufacturing

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311), Other Food Manufacturing (3119), Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (31171), Poultry Processing (311615), Animal Slaughtering and Processing (3116)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Sous-Vide & Cook-Chill Prepared Meat & Seafood Meals (AFANAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Foodservice/Institutional Prepared Meat & Seafood Meals (Bulk/Portioned) (AFANAFAK)

Keywords

• Sous vide manufacturing
• Frozen prepared foods
• Foodservice proteins
• Vacuum-sealed cooking
• Commercial culinary products

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. B2B Food Manufacturing: Manufactures and sells sous vide food products to commercial foodservice operators including restaurant chains, hotels, airlines, and cruise lines. Products delivered as fully cooked, ready-to-finish ingredients for professional kitchens.
2. Retail/Consumer Packaged Goods: Sells consumer products through retail partners including Costco (Kirkland Signature sous vide egg bites) and Sprouts. Also supplies private-label products to retailers. New Sear & Serve direct-to-consumer line available online and at select Costco locations.
3. Military & Government Supply: Supplies restaurant-quality sous vide meals to U.S. military bases and government facilities worldwide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cuisine Solutions is the world's largest sous vide food manufacturer, producing fully cooked, ready-to-finish proteins (beef, poultry, pork, seafood), egg bites, sauces, and grain/side dishes using proprietary precision temperature-controlled water-bath cooking with vacuum-sealed packaging. Products are sold primarily to commercial foodservice operators (restaurants, hotels, airlines, cruise lines, military, K-12 schools) and through retail partners and a direct-to-consumer line.

Product overview

Cuisine Solutions is the world's largest sous vide food manufacturer, offering a comprehensive portfolio of premium food products and culinary services. The core offering consists of fully-cooked sous vide proteins (beef, poultry, pork/lamb/veal, and seafood), breakfast items like egg bites, sauces, and grain/side dishes. The company operates multiple product channels: commercial foodservice products sold to restaurants, hotels, airlines, and institutions; the retail Sear & Serve™ sub-brand targeting home cooks at Costco; and supporting services including CREA Academy culinary training and CS DAK dark kitchen consulting. The proprietary sous vide cooking method, pioneered in 1971, ensures consistency, extended shelf life (up to 18 months frozen), and food safety through precise temperature control and pasteurization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sear & Serve: New retail line of ready-to-eat, chef-quality sous vide beef and pork products available online and at select Costco locations.
• Café + Teria
• CS DAK (Dark Assembly Kitchens)

Products and services

• Sous Vide Proteins (Beef) Premium sous vide beef products including Prime Rib with Au Jus, Braised Oxtail with Soy Glaze, Herb Crusted Roast Beef, Seared Sliced Prime Rib, Bone-In Seared Short Ribs, Seared Short Ribs with Red Wine and Beer Sauce, Seared Wagyu Beef Brisket, and various sliced beef options for restaurant and foodservice operators.
• Sous Vide Proteins (Poultry) Sous vide chicken and poultry products including Seared Chicken Breast with Thyme, ABF Chicken Breast, Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs with Leg Meat, Chicken Thigh Teriyaki, Organic Chicken Tenders, Grilled Sliced Chicken Breast, Seared Skin On Chicken Breast with Herbs De Provence, and Sliced Roasted Turkey Breast.
• Sous Vide Proteins (Pork, Lamb and Veal) Sous vide pork, lamb, and veal products including Berkshire Pork Belly, Seasoned Pork Belly, Pork Shoulder Cushion with Spices, and Veal Osso Buco prepared using the proprietary sous vide method.
• Sous Vide Proteins (Seafood) Sous vide seafood products including Salmon in Sweet Chili Soy, Grilled Salmon with Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper, Grilled Salmon, Seared Turbot, and Poached Octopus.
• Sous Vide Egg Bites Breakfast products including Sous Vide Egg Bite Turkey Sausage and Cheese and Sous Vide Egg White with Monterey Jack and Red Peppers. Portable, grab-and-go breakfast items that Cuisine Solutions helped popularize and are sold at Starbucks and under Costco's Kirkland Signature brand.
• Sous Vide Sauces Variety of sous vide sauces including Alfredo Sauce, Smoky Tomato Sauce, Green Curry Sauce, Khao Soi Curry Sauce, Panang Curry Sauce, Red Curry Sauce, Massaman Curry Sauce, Lobster Sauce, Gluten-Free Demi Glace, San Marzano Tomato Pizza Sauce, Beurre Blanc, Port Wine Sauce, Bordelaise Sauce, Morel Sauce, Fire Roasted Pepper Sauce, and Asian BBQ Sauce.
• Pasta and Side Dishes Grain and side dishes including White Wine Risotto, Polenta Cake With Garlic Confit, Stone Ground Grits, Cavatappi and Cheese, Lentil Chili, Vegan Chili, Vegan Bolognese, Oatmeal with Red Quinoa and Chia Seeds, Oatmeal with Coconut Milk and Chia Seeds, and Spicy Collard Greens.
• Vegetarian and Plant-Based Products Plant-based offerings including Vegan Bolognese, Vegan Chili, Lentil Chili, and Oatmeal with Red Quinoa and Chia Seeds for vegetarian, vegan, and flexitarian menus.
• Sear & Serve Retail Line Retail line of ready-to-eat, chef-quality sous vide beef and pork products available online via searandservecuisine.com and at select Costco locations. Targeted at home cooks seeking premium proteins requiring minimal preparation.
• CREA Academy Culinary Training Culinary Research and Education Academy founded by Dr. Bruno Goussault, offering professional training in sous vide techniques to Michelin-starred chefs globally. Has trained more than 80% of all 3-star Michelin chefs worldwide including Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, Yannick Alléno, Joël Robuchon, and Anne-Sophie Pic.
• CS DAK (Dark Assembly Kitchens) Consulting All-inclusive consultancy service for setting up a Dark Assembly Kitchen using sous vide food products. Includes design, construction, permits, hiring, menu development, and operational support for ventless kitchen and ghost kitchen operations targeting entrepreneurs.
• Café + Teria K-12 School Lunch Program School lunch program offering a build-your-own bowl concept with sous vide proteins. Students select grains, proteins, vegetables, cheeses, sauces, and dressings to create balanced meals meeting state and federal nutritional standards.

Quantifiable outcome

• Waste reduction of 20-30%
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• IRONMANflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 February 2026Multi-year partnership making Cuisine Solutions the Official Sous Vide Food Partner of the IRONMAN North American Series covering 43 events in 2026. Company provides sous vide egg bites and proteins to endurance athletes at events and secured title sponsorship for two marquee IRONMAN 70.3 events. Positions brand alongside high-performance athletic events.
• CREA Academy (internal training arm)coreOthersFounded by Dr. Bruno Goussault, CREA Academy trains Michelin-starred chefs worldwide. Has trained over 80% of all 3-star Michelin chefs globally including Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, Yannick Alléno, Joël Robuchon, and Anne-Sophie Pic.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Conagra Brands: Major North American frozen and packaged food manufacturer with foodservice and retail channels (Healthy Choice, Marie Callender's, Birds Eye). Directly comparable via prepared frozen meal categories and overlapping foodservice distribution, though far broader portfolio than Cuisine Solutions' sous vide focus.
• Tyson Foods: One of the world's largest protein producers with prepared/foodservice divisions supplying restaurant chains, hotels, and airlines. Comparable through shared protein supply and foodservice end-markets, though Tyson's scale spans fresh commodity proteins while Cuisine Solutions specializes in value-added sous vide.
• Schwan's Company: Large frozen food manufacturer (Red Baron, Tony's, Edwards) with B2B foodservice presence serving schools, healthcare, and hospitality. Comparable through frozen prepared-meal format, multi-channel foodservice distribution, and K-12 school contracts overlapping with Cuisine Solutions' Café + Teria program.
• Nestlé Professional: Foodservice arm of Nestlé serving hotels, restaurants, airlines, and hotels globally. Comparable through overlapping foodservice end-markets and multinational distribution, though much broader portfolio spanning beverages, dairy, and confectionery rather than sous vide-prepared proteins.
• McCain Foods: Global leader in frozen prepared foods (primarily potato products) with significant foodservice and retail reach worldwide. Comparable through global multi-facility frozen food manufacturing and foodservice/retail channel mix, though focused on frozen potato products rather than sous vide proteins.
• Lamb Weston: Leading global supplier of frozen potato products including Sweet Things crinkle cuts, with deep foodservice penetration. Comparable through frozen prepared-food format, foodservice channel focus (restaurants/hotels), and multinational production footprint, though category is narrower (potato vs. protein).

Direct peers

• Kettle Cuisine: Premium prepared soups, sauces, and proteins for foodservice and retail - notably sous vide-style cooking for chefs and CPG. Most directly comparable on premium positioning, sous-vide-style preparation, and shared chef/foodservice customer base, though smaller in scale.
• Bellisio Foods: Manufacturer of frozen prepared foods (Chao, Michelina's, EatingWell) including sous vide-style meal bowls sold at retail and through foodservice. Comparable through value-added frozen protein/meals, retail CPG channel, and foodservice partnerships; similar mid-cap private manufacturer profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sousvidecuisine
• Facebookfacebook.com/cuisinesolutions

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles27 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cuisine Solutions