William Dissen

Background

About William Dissen

William Dissen is a renowned chef and culinary diplomat, restauranteur, published author, and early pioneer of the farm-to-table and ocean sustainability movements in the Southeastern, United States Appalachia region. He is a 2 times James Beard Foundation Award Nominee for Outstanding Restaurant in America and for Outstanding Chef in America. In addition to running restaurants, developing world-class dishes, and traveling globally as a sustainable food policy advocate, Chef Dissen regularly appears on television and in the digital media to provide education and entertainment for foodies, culinary novices and experts alike, on the most important topics in the culinary business today. Chef Dissen currently owns two high-end farm-to-table restaurant concepts: The Market Place in Asheville, N.C, Billy D’s Fried Chicken at The North Carolina Zoo. In 2023, he sold Haymaker Restaurant in uptown Charlotte, N.C. In 2021, Chef Dissen faced off and beat Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay on National Geographic, landing Dissen the title “Most sustainable chef in the world.” Throughout Chef Dissen’s career, his acclaim has caught the attention of television producers, national food critics, and award-winning destination resorts and brands. His television experience includes full episode features on National Geographic’s “Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted” and Travel Channel’s “Andrew Zimmern’s Delicious Destinations,” and CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” He’s also a 16-time James Beard Foundation “Featured Chef”, and contributed recipes to “Waste Not: How To Get The Most From Your Food” published by James Beard Foundation. Recognizing the impact of climate change and overfishing on food sources, Dissen became a regular advocate for food policy on Capitol Hill. The Barack Obama Administration lauded him as a, “White House Champion of Change for Sustainable Seafood,” and Chef Dissen spoke to Congress about the importance of passing The Farm Bill, The Childhood Nutrition Reauthorization Act, and The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. When he’s not developing mouth-watering southern dishes or working with kitchens across three award-winning restaurants, Chef Dissen serves on the American Chefs Corps by the U.S. State Department, which sees him traveling around the world to educate organizations about food sustainability practices as a culinary diplomat. His titles include, “Seafood Watch Ambassador” to The Monterey Bay Aquarium in California, and Official Ambassador for Le Creuset and Mountain Valley Spring Water.