Williams-Sonoma, leading specialty retailer of high-quality products for the kitchen and home, announces the one hundred year milestone of founder Chuck Williams who was born on October 2, 1915. To mark this momentous occasion, Williams-Sonoma unveiled a limited-edition Chuck Williams ‘Signature Collection’ of the icon’s favorite products as well as a new cookbook, “Cooking at Home,” that celebrates his legacy with more than 1,000 recipes from an award-winning cookbook library. The cookbook is intended as an essential resource for home cooks and a classic reference for professional chefs.

Williams-Sonoma President, Janet Hayes remarks, “Chuck’s dedication to quality and customer service still guide our everyday decisions. He set standards that distinguish Williams-Sonoma in our industry today.” World-renowned Chef Thomas Keller of The French Laundry, Per Se and Bouchon adds, “Chuck Williams possessed intuitive foresight when it came to knowing how the right tools and ingredients could change the experience of cooking. His unparalleled commitment to quality created a timeless brand.”

The ‘Signature Collection’ Williams-Sonoma has introduced is an exclusive collection of products featuring an array of kitchen classics bearing his signature including a Le Creuset Dutch Oven in Sonoma Green, Nielsen-Massey Limited Edition Vanilla Extract, a maple rolling pin, a pepper mill, a silicone spatula decorated with a pineapple, a lemon reamer, a Mauviel Hammered Aluminum Braiser and Cabbage Leaf Dinnerware from Portugal in addition to Cooking at Home. In honor of Chuck’s contribution to cooking in America and his continuing legacy, last year the City of Sonoma proclaimed October 2, the birthday of the brand’s founder, as “Chuck Williams Day.” Williams-Sonoma will host its second annual pancake breakfast for the local community at Sonoma Plaza on Saturday, October 3, 2015 at 8:00 a.m.

The Williams-Sonoma brand dates back to 1956, when founder Chuck Williams opened his original store in the Northern California wine country town of Sonoma. Chuck’s passion for travel and food brought him to Paris, where his love for French cookware began. He brought his discoveries back to America and gained the patronage of home cooks and professional chefs alike. Williams-Sonoma continues to deliver world-class services and engaging experiences every day.

A “Birthday Wishes” social media campaign called #Chucks100th launched on Monday, September 28th calling for fans to post photos or videos to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram wishing Chuck a happy birthday. All posts should be tagged with #Chucks100th and @williamssonoma on Instagram and Twitter and @williams-sonoma on Facebook. For more information about the Chuck Williams Signature Collection and Cookbook, visit www.williams-sonoma.com.

About Williams-Sonoma

Since its founding by Chuck Williams in 1956, the Williams-Sonoma brand has been bringing people together around food. A member of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) portfolio of brands, Williams-Sonoma is a leading specialty retailer of high-quality products for the kitchen and home, providing world-class service and an engaging customer experience. Products include cookware, cooks’ tools, cutlery, electrics, bakeware, food, tabletop and bar, outdoor, cookbooks, as well as furniture, lighting and decorative accessories. Each store has a professional demonstration kitchen for cooking classes and tastings conducted by expert culinary staff. Williams-Sonoma Cooking Schools, located in select locations in the U.S. and Australia, offer hands-on classes led by professional chefs. A comprehensive gift registry program for weddings and other special events is available in stores and online. On williams-sonoma.com and the Williams-Sonoma blog, Taste, customers can find recipes, tips, and techniques that help them create delicious meals and wonderful memories.