William Dissen

William Stark Dissen is an award-winning chef, author, and sustainability advocate based in Asheville, North Carolina. A leader in the farm-to-table movement, Dissen is the force behind acclaimed restaurants including The Market Place, Billy D’s Fried Chicken, and Little Gem. His culinary work celebrates local sourcing, seasonality, and storytelling through food.

Named Fortune Magazine’s “Green Chef of the Year” twice, William blends his passion for food, foraging, and fly fishing to create dishes deeply rooted in the Appalachian region. In 2024, The Market Place was nominated for a James Beard Award for “Outstanding Restaurant,” and Dissen followed with a 2025 nomination for “Outstanding Chef”.

His debut cookbook, “Thoughtful Cooking: Recipes Rooted in the New South,” was named a Best Spring Cookbook by Food & Wine Magazine and showcases seasonal Appalachian ingredients with modern Southern flair.

Dissen is also a national voice for sustainable food systems. He’s lobbied Congress on issues like the Farm Bill and was honored by the Obama administration as a White House “Champion of Change for Sustainable Seafood.” His global advocacy continues through the American Chefs Corps of the U.S. State Department.

William appeared on Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted (Smoky Mountains), where he introduced Ramsay to Appalachian ingredients and beat him in a cook-off. Ramsay called him “The Most Sustainable Chef on the Planet.”

Through his restaurants, writing, and public service, William Dissen is redefining what it means to cook—and lead—with purpose.