Cuisine & Company

Before establishing Cuisine & Company in 1996, company president and award-winning executive chef Marilyn Pearson didn't know how to cook. Self-admittedly, she and her husband dined out for every meal. That was until a restaurant maître d' shamed her on their dining frequency; they had returned for dinner after having eaten lunch there the same day. Humiliated by his observation and her lack of home cooking skills, admirably, it only ignited her resolve. Mentored by some of Vancouver's top chefs at the prestigious Dubrulle International Culinary and Hotel Institute of Canada, Marilyn learned how to cook; event planning came soon after.

"Early on in my career, while catering a wedding, someone told us we ran out of food, which of course is the worse possible thing that can happen at an event," explains Marilyn. "We realized the emcee missed inviting some of the tables to the buffet; half the guests hadn't eaten. When they decided to go up on their own, the first group had already had seconds. That was the turning point; I got into event planning so I could be more in control of the success of the event."