Cuisine Solutions is an American premium foods company that specializes in the sous-vide method of cooking and meal preparation. Incorporated in 1974, the company maintains headquarters in Sterling, Virginia as well as manufacturing facilities in Alexandria, VA; Chile; and Louviers, France. Cuisine Solutions opened its United States headquarters in 1989, establishing itself as America's first major manufacturer of sous-vide products. Cuisine Solutions currently holds a position as one of the world’s largest manufacturers of sous-vide prepared foods, and serves a variety of partners including transnational airlines, cruise ship operators, the U.S. military, major hotel chains, and restaurant franchises.
The sous-vide sealing process was first popularized as a preservation method in the 1960s, and the following decade saw the increasing popularization of sous-vide products and prepared foods. Most of the innovation was the work of French chefs, with Bruno Goussault among the culinary experts who worked to make the technique commercially viable. Sous-vide quickly gained recognition as an effective means of preserving the texture and freshness of prepared foods, and Goussault’s research was foundational in setting the standards and procedures for sous-vide cooking methods.
Cuisine Solutions was chartered in 1974, with Goussault and his culinary associates founding the company as a premium foods distributor. In addition to acting as a producer of sous-vide products, Cuisine Solutions was founded with the intent of furthering research into sous-vide methods and advancing the techniques that Goussault had pioneered in the 1970s.
The company has a history of partnering with notable food manufacturers, and has previously incorporated various sub-brands under its corporate umbrella. Cuisine Solutions formerly maintained an individual gourmet food wing under the name Five Leaf, which was founded through the initiative of standing CSO Gerard Bertholon. Five Leaf's product line was designed so as to feature the sous-vide preparations of prominent chefs, some of whom included Thomas Keller of The French Laundry and American restaurateur Charlie Trotter. Cuisine Solution's Five Leaf products received positive appraisals from food reviewers, with both Time Magazine and The New York Times publishing critical approval.