We began with a love of chocolate

The story of Ritual Chocolate begins with a tiny 400-square-foot studio turned test kitchen in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Our space was filled to the brim with equipment and the aroma of cacao, and we were 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 our beautiful mess of PVC pipes that conjoined from every which way just to winnow cacao shells.

It’s been a long moment since our first forays into the world of cacao, which came with no readily available manual and plenty of trial & error. We’ve left one set of mountains for another, and we now have a factory in Park City, Utah, where we have the space and capabilities to combine the best old world techniques with newer machinery. Our heart still beats for cacao, and we continue to learn and use what we’ve learned about this world in order to craft the highest quality and smoothest chocolate possible.

It’s still about the love of chocolate

We believe that chocolate is more than an experience—it creates experiences.

A tasting experience. A simple sharing-a-moment experience. A gift-to-unfold experience. A moment-of-peace-from-a-long-day experience. A pair-with-wine-and-close-friend experience. The opportunities and moments for a self-inspired experience are endless.

We believe there is meaning to chocolate. It provides us with a ritual, one that brings us closer together through small, meaningful, and connective moments.

So we will always continue to value the little things and the little rituals that bring so much more meaning to our love of cacao and, we hope, yours.

Proudly a female led business

With the company since its inception; Co-founder, Anna Seear has been leading the Ritual team as President since 2023.

Robert Stout, Co-Founder

Robert Stout co-founded Ritual Chocolate in 2010 and helped to lead the company's journey for over a decade. From its inception, he was involved in every aspect of Ritual, focusing on chocolate making, products, developing new projects such as cafes and production facilities, and driving efforts in marketing, branding, management, and sustainability. In 2021, Robert welcomed the birth of his son, Henry, and in 2023, he stepped away from Ritual Chocolate to devote more time to his family.

Incredible, ethical, sustainable cacao

We are serious about how we source our cacao. We seek and work with farmers and co-operative farms with whom we can establish long-term partnerships. We 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 we work with is actively setting the bar for the highest standards when it comes to environmental consideration, flavor quality, economic sustainability, and social impact. 

We only want to work with origins that we feel good about and challenge old, destructive models because we believe in securing the future of cacao so it can be perpetually enjoyed by all.

Our journal

Find more things Ritual Chocolate here, from recipes and collaboration to featurettes and events!

Read more