Born in France, Marché Executive Chef Guillaume Bienaimé was exposed to French cooking through his mother and grandmother at a young age and it has influenced his culinary style to this day.
Guillaume spent much of his childhood on the San Francisco Peninsula and moved to Pennsylvania with his family as a teenager. His first experience in the restaurant industry was at the age of 15, working at Peace a Pizza through high school, a small but growing chain outside of Philadelphia. After studying math at Foothill College in California for two years, a stint as a line cook at "Z" in Los Gatos influenced Guillaume's career path back into restaurants.
While obtaining an Associate of Arts degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Foodservice Management at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, Guillaume apprenticed at such acclaimed restaurants as La Mediteranée in Paris, The French Laundry in Yountville, and Marché. Additionally, he was selected to be a member of the Culinary Olympic Team, obtaining a gold medal in hot food competition at the ACF national convention, a bronze at the Culinary Olympics in Erfurt Germany and two gold medals at the New York Food Show.
Guillaume returned to Marché as banquet sous chef in 2005 after graduation. Recognizing his talent, then chef Howard Bulka promoted Guillaume to sous chef in 2006. Guillaume was awarded the position of chef de cuisine in early 2008, then was promoted to executive chef in April 2009.
Guillaume has a strong affinity for seasonal French and American regional cooking and it's evident in his menu at Marché. "California is such a great place to obtain fresh and local ingredients throughout the year," says Guillaume. "A dish is only as good as its weakest ingredient; a great ingredient is a dish in itself."
When not at Marché, Guillaume enjoys listening to records, gardening and playing golf. He is active in supporting the local community and participates in benefits for the Menlo Park School District and the International School of the Peninsula, from which he is an alumnus.
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