Ranger Chocolate: How It All Began
Ranger Chocolate: How It All Began
Four friends – Rhonda, Patrick, George and David – set out in 2014 to embrace their love of food and find a craft they could share together. The result was Ranger Chocolate. After many explorations and experiments, they became fascinated with cacao and quickly realized that most people have no idea what one of the world's most beloved foods really tastes like.
During their trip to Peru, they traveled through the jungle, over mountains and across water to find beans to create their first chocolate bars. First and foremost, their goal was to make a connection with the farmers and they thought if they liked the bean in its raw state, it would make a good chocolate bar. As foodies living in the foodie city of Portland, Oregon, they were also insistent on using organic beans. After trying hundreds of beans, they chose beans from three different regions of Peru – Tumbes, Chulucanas and San Martin.
Over the past two years, the four Rangers have fine-tuned their process which includes a high degree of monitoring — from roasting to tempering. Each step of the chocolate-making process is painstakingly tested for consistency and accuracy. The main goal for Ranger bars is to have a creamy mouthfeel with a minimal ingredient list, while capturing the unique flavor of each bean in the bar.
Each Ranger has a hand in the chocolate-making process which is essential to their operation as each of them has a day job. Schedules are shuffled so that there is an early-morning shift, a mid-day shift and a late-night shift and of course, every weekend. No culinary backgrounds are listed on their resumes. Instead, what's listed is a tech entrepreneur, a graphic designer, an operations manager and a marketing consultant. The head chocolate maker, George Domurot, has been a baker all his life. His aunt owned a cooking school on the east coast when he was growing up which was a big influence in his life and ignited his love for only the finest foods.