BackNational award recognizes innovation at the world’s largest sous vide facility
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (March 4, 2021) — The Cuisine Solutions sous vide processing facility in San Antonio has been named the 2021 “Sustainable Food Plant of the Year” by Food Engineering magazine. Stellar designed and built the plant, including self-performing thermal, refrigeration and process engineering services.
The 315,000-square-foot LEED-certified facility — the largest sous vide plant in the world — was honored for its innovative approach to sustainability, including massive solar panels that return electricity to the local grid, aggressive water and stormwater management, traceable life cycle information for a number of materials and a low-charge, natural refrigeration system.
“We’re incredibly proud to partner with Cuisine Solutions to deliver this truly inspiring facility,” said Brad Johnson, Senior Project Manager, Stellar. “Not only is it a successful, efficient and cutting-edge operation for their business, but the plant contributes positively to the local economy, community and environment.”
Pervious concrete in the parking area and numerous bioswales collect and naturally filter rainwater, sending it back to the San Antonio River cleaner than it would have been otherwise. The facility is also the largest participant in San Antonio’s Big Sun Community Solar program.
“The 300-space parking area is shaded by solar panels that are available for purchase by San Antonio area residents,” said Stellar project manager Brad Johnson. “The clean, renewable energy generated by the solar panels is sent to the local utility’s energy grid, and the savings are credited to the resident’s home electric bill.”
The nearly $200 million facility can continuously cook and chill up to 500,000 pounds of product per day. It features proprietary, first-of-its-kind equipment to produce a variety of cooked proteins, including beef, poultry and egg products, via the French sous vide method.
“This new state-of-the art sous vide manufacturing facility reflects our vision to create the best and most innovative food company in the world utilizing the sous vide technology,” said Stanislas Vilgrain, Founder & Chairman of Cuisine Solutions. “Our food is made to consistently be the safest, cleanest and most enjoyable food you can buy, and this facility reinforces that. Our plant affords our workforce a friendly and safe environment that values its impact on the community, as well as the planet, and ultimately delivers a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of zero. We look to set a standard of sustainability for years to come.”
In January 2021, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott chose the Cuisine Solutions facility in San Antonio to host a roundtable and press conference regarding the state of the construction industry and economic development during the time of COVID-19. He met with Cuisine Solutions leadership and Stellar team members on his visit, a testament to the caliber of the facility and its economic value to the region and state.
About Cuisine Solutions
Cuisine Solutions is the world’s leading manufacturer and distributor of sous-vide foods. Led by an international team of award-winning chefs, Cuisine Solutions is recognized as the authority on sous vide — the innovative slow-cooking technique that the company pioneered, perfected and popularized decades ago. Headquartered in Sterling, Virginia, Cuisine Solutions services more than 22,000 restaurants, as well as first and business class on the top 10 airlines in the world, retailers and major hotels. For more information, visit cuisinesolutions.com.
