Ritual Chocolate

The story of Ritual Chocolate begins with a tiny 400-square-foot studio turned test kitchen in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Their space was filled to the brim with equipment and the aroma of cacao, and often lulled to sleep by the rhythm of chocolate grinders, surrounded by self-built equipment, like a cacao bean drum converted from a chicken rotisserie oven and a beautiful mess of PVC pipes that conjoined from every which way just to winnow cacao shells.

It’s been a long moment since their first forays into the world of cacao, which came with no readily available manual and plenty of trial & error. They left one set of mountains for another, with a factory now in Park City, Utah, for the space and capabilities to combine the best old world techniques with newer machinery. Founders Anna Saaer and Robbie Stout's hearts still beats for cacao as they continue to learn and use what they've learned about this world in order to craft the highest quality and smoothest chocolate possible.

They are serious about how they source cacao– always seeking and working with farmers and co-operative farms with whom they can establish long-term partnerships. They believe in practices that support heirloom genetics and sustain the farming community, who must often navigate price changes, difficult harvests, and other inconsistent buyers. Every partner Ritual Chocolate works with is actively setting the bar for the highest standards when it comes to environmental consideration, flavor quality, economic sustainability, and social impact. 

The small batch maker only wants to work with origins they feel good about, challenging old, destructive models because Anna Saaer and Robbie Stout believe in securing the future of cacao so it can be perpetually enjoyed by all.