1 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:09,719 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Savor. I'm Anny Rees and I'm 2 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:12,880 Speaker 1: more in Vogel Bomb and we've got another bonus episode 3 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: for you, my goodness or just rolling in the bonuses? 4 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:23,479 Speaker 1: Are that Savor? Yeah, because we were so lucky to 5 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:26,800 Speaker 1: talk to you so many amazing human people who are 6 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 1: doing these strange and beautiful things in the food industry 7 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:33,560 Speaker 1: when we went to Asheville. And so yeah, this conversation 8 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:35,519 Speaker 1: that we are going to present you with is with 9 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:39,239 Speaker 1: Jail and Dan Radigan, who are the co owners and 10 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:42,920 Speaker 1: founders of French Broad Chocolate Company. Oh but Dan didn't 11 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:45,600 Speaker 1: actually join us until a few minutes into the interview, 12 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 1: so that's why he's quiet at the beginning. Yeah, and 13 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: we thought it would be appropriate to run this one 14 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:53,640 Speaker 1: as when it comes out is nearish. It's in the 15 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 1: same week of Halloween, right, Yeah, you probably still have 16 00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 1: some little mini candies sitting around your house, unless, like 17 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 1: me and apparently like Annie, who was giving me quite 18 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: a face, feasted on all of them. Yes, all candy 19 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: must be consumed within twenty four hours of Halloween. That's 20 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 1: the rule. Okay, Um, but I and you we should 21 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: be so lucky to have candy of the quality that 22 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: French Broad is making in our halloween halls. That would 23 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:28,479 Speaker 1: be a real treat. Somebody in my neighborhood. He used 24 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:32,679 Speaker 1: to give it a nickel. Huh, yeah, on a quarter 25 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 1: a nickel. Here's a lot of kids. I mean, you know, 26 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:44,759 Speaker 1: not my neighbor There wasn't anyway. This was the first 27 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 1: interview we did actually when we arrived in Asheville, and um, yeah, 28 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: it was wonderful. And I think we mentioned in a 29 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: previous episode we were really stressed out and they were 30 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:57,440 Speaker 1: just so kind and it was like a nice and 31 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 1: calming and yeah, and it really set the mood. So 32 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: we hope you enjoy listening to this interview. Right before 33 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 1: we started rolling, we were talking about how places around 34 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 1: here worked together and and kind of that being he said, 35 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:18,920 Speaker 1: it was sort of the spirit of Asheville. Yes, I 36 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: think if there's one word to sum up Asheville, it's collaboration. 37 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:27,200 Speaker 1: And I think that it reflects the community here, which 38 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 1: is very intentional. Um. You weirdly don't meet a lot 39 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:35,680 Speaker 1: of people who are from Asheville. Here. A lot of 40 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: people come here and some know exactly why they're coming. 41 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 1: They're coming to kayak or you know, hike mountains, but 42 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 1: some people just end up here and they're not exactly 43 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:48,640 Speaker 1: sure why. And I think we fit into that camp. 44 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 1: We heard about Asheville when we were living in Costa Rica, 45 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:57,639 Speaker 1: and someone in Costa Rica was like many many people 46 00:02:57,680 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: in Costa Rica. I grew up in Minnesota. I had 47 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: no intention to live in the south, but it came 48 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 1: up so many times in this little village in Costa 49 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 1: Rica that it seemed meaningful and important to listen to. So, um, 50 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: we came up here for a five day trip and decided, yeah, 51 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 1: we're home. Oh wow. And that was about thirteen years ago. Um. 52 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 1: And so that's, you know, a thread that has been 53 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 1: woven into our time. Here is just collaboration and businesses 54 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: who are much more interested in friendly support then competition. 55 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:40,880 Speaker 1: You don't really hear the word competition here. You people 56 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 1: are supportive and helpful of each other's success. Costa Rica 57 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: is where you guys got into chocolate, right, Yeah, it 58 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 1: started a little bit before that in Minnesota. Do you 59 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 1: want me to tell you please? Do? Okay? All right, 60 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 1: it's sort of corny, but it's real. And so I'm 61 00:03:57,520 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: going to tell you this because that's the only way 62 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 1: I know how to Israel. UM. So, when I was 63 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 1: living in Minnesota, UM I was in business school. I 64 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: had enrolled in grad school because I was feeling lost 65 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:19,080 Speaker 1: and needed a direction. Dan, my now husband and business 66 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 1: partner and baby daddy. UH I was living in Minnesota 67 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:27,720 Speaker 1: going to law school and also not feeling super connected 68 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:32,719 Speaker 1: to the field of law. So we were both when 69 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: we met, super passionate about food and about cooking, and 70 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 1: we really connected over that. At the time, I had 71 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 1: started to play with chocolate. I discovered a cookbook author 72 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 1: and pastry chef that I was really relating to, and 73 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 1: also a chocolate maker that was doing really new and 74 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 1: exciting things in chocolate. UM That person actually also discovered 75 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 1: chocolate at Costa Rica and came back and acquired all 76 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: of this anti equipment and started making chocolate what's now 77 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:02,480 Speaker 1: called being to bar. Um. So I was just playing, 78 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:06,719 Speaker 1: playing with chocolate and making confections and giving treats to 79 00:05:06,839 --> 00:05:10,640 Speaker 1: my friends and family, and so it was early on 80 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:17,040 Speaker 1: in our relationship, and I was hand rolling truffles, which 81 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 1: is very meditative, kind of zen activity, lots of just 82 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 1: kind of quiet focus, and I felt a tingling sensation 83 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:30,159 Speaker 1: in my hands and I looked down at my hands, 84 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:32,279 Speaker 1: and I had the very clear thought and I said 85 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:35,279 Speaker 1: out loud, chocolate is the thing that will make me happy. 86 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 1: And Dan was there and he believed me. You know, 87 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:45,360 Speaker 1: we were pretty new in our relationship together, but he 88 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:49,160 Speaker 1: took that seriously and really was supportive and what we 89 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:52,240 Speaker 1: were going to do with that new found you know, 90 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:56,839 Speaker 1: kind of clarity that ah sort of moment. Yeah, yeah, 91 00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: And so we've been kind of following that chocolate path 92 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: that since. Oh, it's wonderful. You were saying about about 93 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 1: collaboration versus competition here in Asheville, and um, what are 94 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:11,000 Speaker 1: what are some of the partnerships that you you have around town? 95 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:12,320 Speaker 1: I know that you guys have a lot like that's 96 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:15,480 Speaker 1: that's a big question, but but how do you how 97 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 1: do you interact with the community here. Well, one of 98 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 1: my favorite examples of collaboration in the restaurant industry is UH, 99 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:34,000 Speaker 1: an organization that serves meals to people who need to 100 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:37,479 Speaker 1: eat every every week. Um. It happens at a church. 101 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:42,159 Speaker 1: It's called the Welcome Table, and everybody's welcome, no questions asked. 102 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 1: There's no religious agenda, um, but it's a it's a 103 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:53,920 Speaker 1: project that is filled with UM, community and love and dignity. UM. 104 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:57,480 Speaker 1: Rather than being set up as like a soup kitchen line, 105 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:01,159 Speaker 1: people sit down at a table and they're served a 106 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: meal by volunteers and they get to enjoy food and 107 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 1: each other's company. UM. And there was a local restaurant 108 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 1: in town that established an initiative for UM the local 109 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:21,120 Speaker 1: restaurants to participate in that project. UM. So a lot 110 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 1: of us. I don't even know how many it is 111 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 1: and how many restaurants are participating, but UM, we either 112 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 1: partner with another restaurant or restaurant handles it themselves and 113 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 1: we feed you know, five hundred people in a day. UM. 114 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 1: And it's it's not anyone's pet project. It's it's a 115 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 1: collaboration and it wouldn't be successful without everybody, everybody's contribution 116 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:48,720 Speaker 1: and participation. UM. That's one of my favorite ways that 117 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:52,640 Speaker 1: we've come together as an industry. And you know, there's 118 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:56,480 Speaker 1: just lots of joint collaborative events and fun projects. We're 119 00:07:56,480 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 1: making some toppings for ice cream for a local brewery 120 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 1: to celebrate National ice Cream Day, which is this weekend. 121 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:19,760 Speaker 1: The coco comes from a few different places, correct, But yeah, 122 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 1: so the place that we lived in Costa Rica on 123 00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 1: the southern Caribbean coast. That's one of the areas where 124 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 1: we sourced cacao. So we moved there and sort of 125 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:33,080 Speaker 1: discovered that it was a cocao growing region, and so 126 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:35,839 Speaker 1: we were able to visit farms and really start to 127 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 1: get to know the plant and learn how local farms 128 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 1: make chocolate. You know, just kind of rustic, rustic fashion. Um, 129 00:08:44,080 --> 00:08:47,439 Speaker 1: and we were using that that chocolate in our restaurant. 130 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:51,760 Speaker 1: We started a restaurant. Did I mention that we started 131 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 1: a restaurant in Costa Rica. It was called Bread and Chocolate, 132 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:58,680 Speaker 1: and um, we were able to use local chocolate and 133 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:01,720 Speaker 1: our recipes there and really just kind of went deep 134 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:05,720 Speaker 1: with chocolate. Um. So when we moved to Ashville, that 135 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:09,800 Speaker 1: became our our focus. Um. But but as much a 136 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:13,400 Speaker 1: stuff that you can get locally, you source a lot 137 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:16,679 Speaker 1: of the other stuff from from right around here, right definitely. 138 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:22,080 Speaker 1: So when we moved to Asheville, our business plan and 139 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:25,320 Speaker 1: you can't see it on the radio or the podcast, 140 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:27,960 Speaker 1: but I use air quotes because the business plan was 141 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 1: a bit loose. But our idea was that we were 142 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 1: going to create a small home based business and sell 143 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:39,680 Speaker 1: our chocolates and confections at the local farmers markets. Um 144 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:42,720 Speaker 1: And we did that, and we created recipes that people 145 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:46,000 Speaker 1: really liked, and we got to know all the local 146 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:49,160 Speaker 1: farmers and we got to really know our food shed 147 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:53,200 Speaker 1: and what was coming into season when and what paired 148 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:59,679 Speaker 1: with chocolates and desserts, and that really started to solidify 149 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:07,800 Speaker 1: our or sourcing philosophy. Um It. We had a major 150 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:11,520 Speaker 1: transition in our business in about two thousand and ten. 151 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:13,320 Speaker 1: We had been in business a couple of years at 152 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:21,160 Speaker 1: the Chocolate Lounge and sourcing everything so intentionally buying you know, 153 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:24,960 Speaker 1: honey from an honor shock down the road and um 154 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:30,840 Speaker 1: starting to buy large volumes of local produce and then 155 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:33,920 Speaker 1: freezing it or peering it so that we could use 156 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:36,680 Speaker 1: it all year and not just when it was in 157 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:42,680 Speaker 1: season those fleeting moments delicious strawberry harvest, but but being 158 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:47,720 Speaker 1: able to extend that out and so that was you know, 159 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 1: really going well and becoming such a part of our 160 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 1: value system. UM And we started to have this growing 161 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 1: realization that chocolate, which was the heart of our business, 162 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:01,200 Speaker 1: was something that we didn't feel direct connected to the source, 163 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:05,400 Speaker 1: and that we remedied by deciding that we were going 164 00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 1: to make our own chocolate rather than buy it as 165 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 1: an ingredient. That's when we began to pursue finally that 166 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:15,480 Speaker 1: being too bar chocolate aspect of our business, and we 167 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:19,160 Speaker 1: built our chocolate factory and began to learn the simple 168 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:24,280 Speaker 1: and complex process of making chocolate. UM. Because you know, 169 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:27,440 Speaker 1: if we can't source things locally, which there are a 170 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:30,640 Speaker 1: lot of things that we love that we all love, 171 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:34,319 Speaker 1: like chocolate and vanilla and coffee and sugar that don't 172 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:40,120 Speaker 1: grow around here. UM. So you know, our our solution 173 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:44,840 Speaker 1: or our values UM lead us to sourcing whatever we 174 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:48,880 Speaker 1: can directly. If we can't source it locally, then we're 175 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 1: looking to connect with a farmer or cooperative and UM 176 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:56,280 Speaker 1: make sure that we're connected and that we share that 177 00:11:56,320 --> 00:12:00,640 Speaker 1: connection with our staff and with our customers. UM. And 178 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:07,080 Speaker 1: you guys do do have your own UM building chocolate? Five? 179 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:14,720 Speaker 1: We do have a cacao farm. Yes, it is in 180 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:20,480 Speaker 1: Costa Rica. And when we moved down to Costa Rica, 181 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 1: in the most hippie of fashions, we bought ourselves a 182 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:31,120 Speaker 1: forty foot school bus off of this new little website 183 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:36,000 Speaker 1: called Craigslist Goodness. In two thousand and three, maybe two 184 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 1: thousand four, and we transformed it into a mobile home. 185 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 1: We sold most of our possessions that didn't fit on 186 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 1: the bus, and our plan was that we were going 187 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 1: to drive the bus down and park it on our 188 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 1: piece of land that we bought, which happened to be 189 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:57,280 Speaker 1: an abandoned cocow farm, and we were going to make 190 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:01,040 Speaker 1: bread and make chocolate and sell it intown. Uh huh, 191 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:03,719 Speaker 1: not not before you had converted it to run on 192 00:13:03,960 --> 00:13:09,000 Speaker 1: vegetable right. We we converted it, well, Dan technically converted 193 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:12,040 Speaker 1: it to run on used vegetable oil before we left, 194 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 1: so we were able to fill barrels of disgusting used 195 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:21,560 Speaker 1: frying oil on the roof of the bus before departing 196 00:13:21,559 --> 00:13:28,840 Speaker 1: the States. That's beautiful. Yeah, it was beautiful. Like beautiful 197 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:32,920 Speaker 1: the word for it. It was quite poetic when we 198 00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:37,880 Speaker 1: would get to the borders in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, 199 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:41,959 Speaker 1: and the the border patrol would look at us funny, 200 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:45,440 Speaker 1: look up on the roof and see these barrels and 201 00:13:45,559 --> 00:13:49,480 Speaker 1: then ask us, hey, weren't you just here. It turned 202 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:53,120 Speaker 1: out that there was another bus powered on veggie oil 203 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:57,400 Speaker 1: that preceded us. It's a matter of like three weeks earlier. 204 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 1: It was coming from the West coast and they were 205 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:05,880 Speaker 1: running on virgin avocado oil. But and the and the 206 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:14,520 Speaker 1: bus looked nothing like our boss wow doing yes. So 207 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:17,360 Speaker 1: they ended up they ended up a mirror a few 208 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:20,640 Speaker 1: miles from us on the Caribbean coast of Coasta Rica 209 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:26,440 Speaker 1: at this really cool uh eco village community, this intentional 210 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 1: community called Puntamona, and they they were doing it in 211 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:35,840 Speaker 1: a totally similar style. But but it was just the 212 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:38,800 Speaker 1: two of us, mom and Pop on this on this 213 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:42,960 Speaker 1: bus um and they had a whole crew that was 214 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:47,560 Speaker 1: making this pilgrimage down to Puntamona from from the founders 215 00:14:47,560 --> 00:14:53,160 Speaker 1: home and in California. Speaking of Mom and Pop, our 216 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:58,040 Speaker 1: plans changed a bit when we realized, just before we 217 00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:01,320 Speaker 1: departed in Minnesota on this school us to live in 218 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:05,280 Speaker 1: the jungle and make bread and chocolate, that we were 219 00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:08,640 Speaker 1: pregnant with our first child. Um, so that kind of 220 00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 1: refined our plans a bit. Uh And we actually found 221 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:18,120 Speaker 1: a physical building with four walls and a roof to 222 00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:21,040 Speaker 1: start our business in and that's where we started bread 223 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 1: and Chocolate. The start there was on this cow farm 224 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:27,000 Speaker 1: that that how's how's how's it going? These days, what's 225 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 1: going on with it? So Deekon Cow Farm has never 226 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:34,560 Speaker 1: amounted to much more than a hobby farm um. And 227 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:39,520 Speaker 1: and being absentee cacao farmers turns out it's not it's 228 00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:42,640 Speaker 1: not very fruitful. Um. We have a we have a 229 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:46,240 Speaker 1: friend and colleague that at the time we were running 230 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:49,280 Speaker 1: bread and chocolate he was he became our baker. We 231 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:52,880 Speaker 1: kept in touch with him, and the first thing that 232 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:55,680 Speaker 1: we had him do for us after we departed back 233 00:15:55,720 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 1: for the States a couple of years later, was to 234 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:01,720 Speaker 1: take care of our farm and and just and just 235 00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:06,600 Speaker 1: basically maintain the maintain it um so that the other 236 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:11,680 Speaker 1: squatters wouldn't wouldn't come and live there. Um. But we 237 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:16,680 Speaker 1: didn't really try to rehabilitate this abandoned cacao until much 238 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:19,560 Speaker 1: later UM. But when we did, we asked Daniel to 239 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 1: head in and see what he could do, and it 240 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:25,920 Speaker 1: turned out to be we learned a lot about about 241 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:31,000 Speaker 1: cacao gronomy and the challenges of certain micro climates. Um. 242 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:33,920 Speaker 1: The reason why that farm was abandoned was because it 243 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:37,800 Speaker 1: had a fungal blight um that rendered it a lot 244 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:43,880 Speaker 1: less productive. But it also wasn't an ideal site for 245 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:46,800 Speaker 1: a cacao farm because of the shade cover. It was 246 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:50,080 Speaker 1: actually too shady. We think of cacao as a tropical 247 00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 1: understory plant, which it is, but to be fully productive 248 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:58,360 Speaker 1: as a commercial farm, you actually need more light than 249 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:05,440 Speaker 1: you would find in a secondary, relatively undisturbed rainforest. We 250 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:09,120 Speaker 1: have more of this interview, but first we're gonna pause 251 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:20,359 Speaker 1: for a quick break forward from our sponsor and we're back. 252 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 1: Thank you sponsor, and back to the interview. Would you 253 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:26,280 Speaker 1: tell me a little bit more about how you got 254 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:30,840 Speaker 1: to go from from kind of like conventional chocolateearing to 255 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:35,680 Speaker 1: the being to bar process. Well, the transition really happened 256 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:40,440 Speaker 1: as we were committing further and further to our values. 257 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:45,960 Speaker 1: So as we began to build stronger and stronger connections 258 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:50,639 Speaker 1: with local farms here, we began to realize that, you know, 259 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:52,800 Speaker 1: the heart of our business was cocao, and we didn't 260 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:56,320 Speaker 1: feel connected to the source of our cocao. So we 261 00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:01,360 Speaker 1: went on our first cocao sourcing trip in two thousand ten. 262 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:05,320 Speaker 1: We chose Peru because we really liked the chocolate that 263 00:18:05,359 --> 00:18:09,160 Speaker 1: we were getting that was from Peru, and so we 264 00:18:09,160 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 1: we planned this trip. Dan's sister, who is an amazing person. 265 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:18,760 Speaker 1: She's an artist and a herbalist and a farmer, and 266 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:23,560 Speaker 1: she had worked at a farm alongside a man who 267 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:26,400 Speaker 1: was from Peru and his name was James. So she said, oh, 268 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:28,760 Speaker 1: you'll have to connect with my friend James when you 269 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:32,239 Speaker 1: go to Peru. So we contact James, and as it 270 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 1: turns out, James is not just somebody that we're going 271 00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:39,600 Speaker 1: to grab coffee with. James is now an organic cocaw certifier. 272 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:44,919 Speaker 1: So we, you know, were inexperienced and naive about what 273 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:49,240 Speaker 1: it meant to plan a cocow sourcing trip, but we 274 00:18:49,240 --> 00:18:55,240 Speaker 1: were very fortunate and to have somebody who knew organic 275 00:18:55,320 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 1: cocao in Peru and basically helped us create agenda where 276 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:06,080 Speaker 1: we had meetings with local farmers and cooperatives all over 277 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 1: the country. Um and we got to really get to 278 00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:14,199 Speaker 1: know the different regions of Peru and the the terroire 279 00:19:14,359 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 1: of the cacao and choose, you know, where we wanted 280 00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:23,280 Speaker 1: to source from. So our first our first source was Peru, 281 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:27,800 Speaker 1: and we we brought in an entire container of cacao. 282 00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:30,800 Speaker 1: And the way that we were able to manage that 283 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:37,159 Speaker 1: was by working collaboratively with our colleagues a k a. Competitors. Again, 284 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:41,600 Speaker 1: there's that threat of collaboration, which is abundant in chocolate 285 00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:44,960 Speaker 1: as well as in Nashville. So we worked together with 286 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:48,560 Speaker 1: other chocolate makers to fill this container and and shared 287 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:52,359 Speaker 1: the cost of bringing in the container to the United States. 288 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:57,800 Speaker 1: Um and uh, what kind of this? This might be 289 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:00,359 Speaker 1: a super nerdy question, especially to ask someone off the 290 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:02,800 Speaker 1: top of their head. But but but you guys do 291 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:08,440 Speaker 1: have different products that are specifically from beings from different areas. Um, 292 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:13,399 Speaker 1: what what about the arre of of different places leads 293 00:20:13,440 --> 00:20:16,000 Speaker 1: to the different like flavor profiles that you're looking for. 294 00:20:16,480 --> 00:20:18,000 Speaker 1: I'd be able to speak to that a little bit. 295 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:24,280 Speaker 1: So cacao has a has a history that we're only 296 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:30,600 Speaker 1: really beginning to come to understand. Through genetic mapping, We've 297 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:35,399 Speaker 1: we've actually been able to shortcut back to understanding where 298 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:39,560 Speaker 1: these where, where the original um, the original varietals of 299 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:45,160 Speaker 1: the species came and um. So as we're as we're 300 00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:49,480 Speaker 1: discovering these things, a lot of our preconceived notions about 301 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:55,280 Speaker 1: what a certain varietal uh might present in the way 302 00:20:55,320 --> 00:20:59,000 Speaker 1: of flavor is being It's being turned on its head. 303 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:04,800 Speaker 1: And in the meantime, we're like in this industry wide 304 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:09,320 Speaker 1: process of understanding the complexities of fermentation and post harvest 305 00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:15,160 Speaker 1: process which also have dramatic impact on on flavor. Why 306 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:20,639 Speaker 1: why did you choose the name French Broad m hm Yes, Um, 307 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:24,960 Speaker 1: Like I said, the definition of terroir that most influenced 308 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 1: us is a sense of place. And so when we 309 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:31,880 Speaker 1: created a business here in Asheville, we wanted to put 310 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:34,520 Speaker 1: our roots down and established as a part of our 311 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:38,199 Speaker 1: community and as a local business, and have Asheville be 312 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:40,280 Speaker 1: a part of our brand as much as we are 313 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:43,959 Speaker 1: a part of Asheville. So the French Broad River is 314 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:47,399 Speaker 1: one of the oldest rivers in the world. It flows 315 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:51,520 Speaker 1: through Asheville. It is imbued with so much meaning for 316 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:54,880 Speaker 1: us with you know, with the power of water and 317 00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:59,280 Speaker 1: the constant change. And so we really associated with the 318 00:21:59,359 --> 00:22:01,800 Speaker 1: river and I did that we were going to name 319 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:07,160 Speaker 1: our company after that. And Um, how did you come 320 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:12,800 Speaker 1: to be in this in this location specifically, Well, we 321 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:16,400 Speaker 1: first opened the Chocolate Lounge in two thousand eight and 322 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:21,360 Speaker 1: we were about a block away. It was a small 323 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:28,920 Speaker 1: sort of subterranean square feet um shop and that was 324 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:31,800 Speaker 1: where we got our start. We were still making things 325 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:35,840 Speaker 1: in our house, making our confections and pastries and driving 326 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:41,280 Speaker 1: them to the lounge every day. And we eventually outgrew 327 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:45,000 Speaker 1: that space and expanded to the second and third floors 328 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:50,120 Speaker 1: of that building until we outgrew that and still had 329 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:56,679 Speaker 1: some some human capacity, some fire code in particular capacity. 330 00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:03,520 Speaker 1: And so we became aware of this spot tends out 331 00:23:03,600 --> 00:23:06,920 Speaker 1: Back Square, which is kind of our town center. And 332 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:09,800 Speaker 1: you know, we were able to spread out a little 333 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:18,320 Speaker 1: bit and um have natural light and tall ceilings and um, 334 00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:20,879 Speaker 1: and we loved the idea of being in the heart 335 00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:26,200 Speaker 1: of downtown Nashville. Do each of you have a favorite 336 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:28,840 Speaker 1: product that you make, your favorite thing that you do. 337 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 1: My life is devoted to chocolate chip cookies. All of 338 00:23:35,359 --> 00:23:43,200 Speaker 1: these years of you tiny confections and truffles. I will 339 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:46,960 Speaker 1: always love chocolate chip cookies. Do you like I'm chewy? 340 00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:49,560 Speaker 1: Do you like I'm crispy? They need to be both. 341 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:53,760 Speaker 1: They need to be crispy exterior with a chewy center. 342 00:23:55,040 --> 00:24:01,840 Speaker 1: Nuts no nuts, no nuts? How dare you to have 343 00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:06,159 Speaker 1: a good good presence of vanilla? And they need to 344 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:10,240 Speaker 1: have excellent chocolate, of course, And we actually add instead 345 00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:13,920 Speaker 1: of nuts, we add coco nives to our chocolate chip cookies. 346 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:17,159 Speaker 1: So it adds the crunchiness of a nut, but it 347 00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:20,679 Speaker 1: keeps the flavor chocolate and adds complexity and depth to 348 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 1: the flavor. We'll give you one on your way out. 349 00:24:24,760 --> 00:24:30,679 Speaker 1: I will gladly accept that. Well. I don't typically play 350 00:24:30,800 --> 00:24:36,919 Speaker 1: favorites in uh in in our menu, so I can 351 00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:42,520 Speaker 1: only really speak to like what I'm interested in right now, um, 352 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:46,280 Speaker 1: which is some Does anybody have any scorpion pepper chocolate? 353 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:50,800 Speaker 1: That's what I'm craving, not on me. So we're making 354 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:55,119 Speaker 1: a It's so cool, we we um, we're buddies with 355 00:24:55,240 --> 00:25:01,800 Speaker 1: this farmer who takes our cacauc else are waste product 356 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:05,919 Speaker 1: and makes a compost t with it. He uses that 357 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:11,040 Speaker 1: as a soil amendment on his on his pepper plants. 358 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:15,280 Speaker 1: We buy his peppers, dehydrate them, and grind them into 359 00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:21,320 Speaker 1: chocolate and the circle continues. And it's so cool. It's 360 00:25:21,359 --> 00:25:23,479 Speaker 1: like this. So the trinita ad scorpion peppers, you know, 361 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:28,280 Speaker 1: it's it's known to be like this super fiery pepper. Um. 362 00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:31,680 Speaker 1: We love it because it's got an awesome fruit flavor 363 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:36,560 Speaker 1: and we canpare it really nicely with this uh this 364 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:41,360 Speaker 1: blend of different cocaos and and we don't. We kind 365 00:25:41,359 --> 00:25:44,440 Speaker 1: of downplay the heat. We use a very small amount 366 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:50,400 Speaker 1: of it. Um. You definitely get this crescendo of warmth, UM, 367 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:55,080 Speaker 1: but but really it's about that that pepper flavor. We've 368 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:57,679 Speaker 1: got even more of this interview to present you with. 369 00:25:57,760 --> 00:25:59,960 Speaker 1: But first we've got one more quick break for where 370 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:11,840 Speaker 1: from our sponsor and we're back, Thank you sponsor, and 371 00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:15,040 Speaker 1: back to the interview. UM. Have you guys done any 372 00:26:15,119 --> 00:26:18,080 Speaker 1: genetic testing on the micro like microbiotics that are going 373 00:26:18,119 --> 00:26:22,480 Speaker 1: on in some of the fermentation. No. UM, there's some 374 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:25,480 Speaker 1: work being done in that UM at Penn State University 375 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:29,040 Speaker 1: at this point. UM. There there's some really cool UM 376 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:34,119 Speaker 1: scientists who have caught the chocolate bug and have become buddies. 377 00:26:34,119 --> 00:26:37,680 Speaker 1: They show up at all the festivals and UM and there, 378 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:40,800 Speaker 1: and they are our servants. They're doing research for our 379 00:26:40,840 --> 00:26:45,280 Speaker 1: industry to better understand the genetics of the cacao and 380 00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:50,480 Speaker 1: the nature of the fermentations. UM. What I without the 381 00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:55,720 Speaker 1: perfect knowledge of what's actually going on from location to location. UM. 382 00:26:55,720 --> 00:27:01,040 Speaker 1: My understanding of of cocou fermentation is it bars a 383 00:27:01,040 --> 00:27:05,800 Speaker 1: lot of understanding from from bread fermentation, which which you know, 384 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:09,119 Speaker 1: we we've seen these stur dost starter cultures that have 385 00:27:09,520 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 1: you know, lasted for hundreds of years and from different 386 00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:15,439 Speaker 1: parts of the world where there's no real reasonably that 387 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:20,000 Speaker 1: they should have shared any sort of uh similarities um 388 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:25,159 Speaker 1: in in biome. But principally the components are exactly the 389 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:28,000 Speaker 1: same across all of those places. There there will be these, 390 00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:33,160 Speaker 1: you know, micro differences that might have slight, slight impact 391 00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:39,879 Speaker 1: on the flavor. But but most of the fermentation organisms 392 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:43,400 Speaker 1: that we rely upon, they tend to proliferate because they're 393 00:27:43,520 --> 00:27:46,639 Speaker 1: they're so vigorous and they're really good at creating a 394 00:27:46,680 --> 00:27:52,640 Speaker 1: societal colony um that that is self protective and so UM. 395 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:56,720 Speaker 1: We principally are working with yeasts a pseudo bactor and 396 00:27:57,720 --> 00:28:03,240 Speaker 1: lack of Bacillus um preferably just the first two um 397 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:07,960 Speaker 1: in in most comferimentations. Specific varietals of those um they 398 00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:11,560 Speaker 1: might vary a bit, but um but the process seems 399 00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:16,200 Speaker 1: pretty startlingly similar. Wherever you go, are you working anything new, 400 00:28:16,960 --> 00:28:22,520 Speaker 1: anything big coming up? She was saying that you were 401 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:25,439 Speaker 1: you were you join us from like some kind of 402 00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:28,840 Speaker 1: mad scientist style lab where I can only imagine that 403 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:31,479 Speaker 1: like WILLI Wanka style stuff is happening. Oh no, I 404 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:33,600 Speaker 1: was just learning to do something that our staff does 405 00:28:33,640 --> 00:28:36,080 Speaker 1: every single day. Um, I just had to do it 406 00:28:36,119 --> 00:28:38,280 Speaker 1: on the fly because they're not in today and we're 407 00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:43,240 Speaker 1: we're trying to represent their best their best work, UM 408 00:28:43,280 --> 00:28:46,040 Speaker 1: at an event this weekend. So yes, I was. I 409 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:50,880 Speaker 1: was sciencing a little bit. So that's looking at a molds, 410 00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:53,320 Speaker 1: looking at at it through the mold. UM, so you 411 00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:55,040 Speaker 1: don't see you know, you don't see it in all 412 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:59,760 Speaker 1: its glory yet. But um. Yeah, learning to brush colored 413 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:02,600 Speaker 1: coke co butter on the inside of of a since 414 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:07,480 Speaker 1: since you're microphone doesn't have video learning to learn to 415 00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:11,800 Speaker 1: like tint cocoa butter or tint white chocolate and and 416 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:13,480 Speaker 1: then brush it on the inside of a mold before 417 00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:16,480 Speaker 1: casting casting chocolate in the mold and then when you 418 00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:20,480 Speaker 1: release it, it kind of grabs onto the chocolate and 419 00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:23,000 Speaker 1: pulls on for the ride. So that's what we're working 420 00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:27,320 Speaker 1: on this weekend. That we've been working on a big 421 00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 1: project for the past couple of years and planning and development, 422 00:29:32,280 --> 00:29:36,760 Speaker 1: and we are building our next chocolate factory. So we're 423 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:43,600 Speaker 1: we've found a space in u a building called Ramps Studios, 424 00:29:43,640 --> 00:29:47,360 Speaker 1: which stands for River Arts Makers Place, and it's a 425 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:53,440 Speaker 1: community of artists and makers and food producers and scientists 426 00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:57,040 Speaker 1: and musical instrument makers and all these creative folks that 427 00:29:57,280 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 1: are you know, are working in this shared space. And 428 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:07,280 Speaker 1: we are building our Willie Want Chocolate Factory. UM. We're 429 00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:10,520 Speaker 1: building up you know, scaled up productions so we'll be 430 00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:14,560 Speaker 1: able to bring in different kinds of equipment that will 431 00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:18,720 Speaker 1: allow us to not only make larger batches of chocolate, 432 00:30:18,760 --> 00:30:21,120 Speaker 1: but also have more control over the process and be 433 00:30:21,160 --> 00:30:24,920 Speaker 1: able to make better chocolate. UM. We're building it with 434 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:30,200 Speaker 1: the production all in a concentrated area of the square 435 00:30:30,240 --> 00:30:34,120 Speaker 1: footage with a giant hallway around it and big windows 436 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:36,760 Speaker 1: so that our guests can come in and watch the 437 00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:41,960 Speaker 1: chocolate being made and see the process. UM. We're inspired 438 00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:45,040 Speaker 1: by the idea of museum, so we're going to be 439 00:30:45,160 --> 00:30:49,160 Speaker 1: setting it up with exhibits and lots of lots of 440 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:54,640 Speaker 1: opportunity to learn about chocolate and see the tools that 441 00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:58,240 Speaker 1: are used in the process and at the farm, and 442 00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:01,800 Speaker 1: learn about the culture and the people that we work with. 443 00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:05,600 Speaker 1: There are so many hands involved and getting chocolate to 444 00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:08,479 Speaker 1: people who eat it at its final stage that we 445 00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:12,800 Speaker 1: want to shine a light on the entire process. Oh, 446 00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:16,840 Speaker 1: there will also be a cafe, gift shop, and classroom. 447 00:31:17,040 --> 00:31:20,640 Speaker 1: So we'll be doing tours and tastings and events and 448 00:31:21,560 --> 00:31:24,640 Speaker 1: demonstrations and we'll just have lots of fun with chocolate 449 00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:29,280 Speaker 1: every day. Speaking to your favorite thing, chocolate chip cookies. 450 00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:33,400 Speaker 1: Were really UM, dedicating a lot of our energy in this, 451 00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:37,600 Speaker 1: in this expansion to the production of chocolate chips. We 452 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:42,560 Speaker 1: want to we we we've we love making stuff from 453 00:31:42,560 --> 00:31:46,000 Speaker 1: our chocolate, um, you know, to be vertically integrated, from 454 00:31:46,080 --> 00:31:50,320 Speaker 1: you know, being to bar to bond, bond pastry. We 455 00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:52,080 Speaker 1: do all these different things that we make ice cream 456 00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:54,360 Speaker 1: with our chocolate. We love all of that, um, but 457 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:56,280 Speaker 1: we love to see what other people do with it 458 00:31:56,360 --> 00:32:00,640 Speaker 1: as well. So we're stoked to bring our chocolate too. 459 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:05,760 Speaker 1: Chefs in the home, chefs in pastry kitchens, people who 460 00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:09,719 Speaker 1: want to know where their chocolate comes from and and 461 00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:14,400 Speaker 1: and partake of of some of our labor of love. 462 00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:19,080 Speaker 1: So we're super excited to expand into that market. Have 463 00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:22,440 Speaker 1: you seen the technology? I A lot of what you're 464 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:26,000 Speaker 1: talking about is is all of this very old process 465 00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:31,440 Speaker 1: and in history UM, but also technology. UM. Have have 466 00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:34,880 Speaker 1: you guys seen new technology come onto the scene since 467 00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:37,840 Speaker 1: you've been working in the industry. That's exciting. Yeah, there's 468 00:32:37,840 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 1: some really cool stuff. We were borrowing a lot from 469 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:44,600 Speaker 1: coffee because we're we share, for instance, the roasting aspect 470 00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:49,280 Speaker 1: of our process. So there's some really cool technology that 471 00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:57,240 Speaker 1: tracks temperature gradients on your roasting profile so that you 472 00:32:57,280 --> 00:33:00,800 Speaker 1: can so that you can reproduce that profile, you can 473 00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:05,240 Speaker 1: study different aspects of it and understand where you're where 474 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:08,160 Speaker 1: certain flavors are developed in the in in the course 475 00:33:08,160 --> 00:33:10,160 Speaker 1: of a roast. Of course it's very different from with 476 00:33:10,200 --> 00:33:12,920 Speaker 1: coffee than it is with cocao. But um, but we 477 00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:16,640 Speaker 1: can part take of the same technology. Um, there's been 478 00:33:17,320 --> 00:33:24,200 Speaker 1: there's been um a lot of developments in in the 479 00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:28,880 Speaker 1: exercise of tasting and how we can catalog are our 480 00:33:28,920 --> 00:33:32,600 Speaker 1: tasting experience and so the same similar software to that 481 00:33:33,040 --> 00:33:37,040 Speaker 1: that roasting software is being designed to give us the 482 00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:42,480 Speaker 1: ability to pool our our collective u taste experiences and 483 00:33:42,760 --> 00:33:45,680 Speaker 1: try to map it and understand on a broader scale 484 00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:50,040 Speaker 1: what's happening when people taste food. So that's really exciting 485 00:33:50,040 --> 00:33:52,840 Speaker 1: stuff to me. You you said you said before your 486 00:33:52,920 --> 00:33:56,360 Speaker 1: husband got here, that that that how this all started, 487 00:33:56,440 --> 00:33:59,000 Speaker 1: was that you had this moment that a ha kind 488 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:00,880 Speaker 1: of moment where you were like, chocolate is going to 489 00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:03,520 Speaker 1: be what makes me happy? Is it making you guys 490 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:10,840 Speaker 1: kind of happy? Yeah, life's pretty good. We're really fortunate 491 00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:15,799 Speaker 1: and we are super grateful to have the opportunity to 492 00:34:16,640 --> 00:34:19,759 Speaker 1: build something from the ground up and to do it 493 00:34:20,360 --> 00:34:25,759 Speaker 1: together with with our life partners and one partner. We 494 00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:29,680 Speaker 1: to have one partner just to be clear. Um, and 495 00:34:29,800 --> 00:34:33,000 Speaker 1: with our kids. You know, our son who we were 496 00:34:33,080 --> 00:34:35,719 Speaker 1: pregnant with when we moved to Costa Rica was born 497 00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:39,000 Speaker 1: in Costa Rica. And then we had a second son 498 00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:41,040 Speaker 1: when we moved to Asheville. So there are eleven and 499 00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:46,000 Speaker 1: thirteen now and they're super into chocolate and and um 500 00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:50,320 Speaker 1: feel you know, ownership and pride over what our family 501 00:34:50,440 --> 00:34:57,480 Speaker 1: is doing. So yeah, I think it's making me pretty happy. Yeah. Awesome. 502 00:34:57,520 --> 00:35:01,400 Speaker 1: I'm glad that was the answer. Yes, if you'd been like, well, actually, 503 00:35:01,440 --> 00:35:07,239 Speaker 1: I've been meaning to say so people listening to this, 504 00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:10,480 Speaker 1: we're kind of exploring this city and the thing that 505 00:35:10,560 --> 00:35:14,880 Speaker 1: makes it Asheville and why is it special so to 506 00:35:15,440 --> 00:35:17,200 Speaker 1: the both of you. And when we said we're going 507 00:35:17,239 --> 00:35:19,560 Speaker 1: to actually so many people were like, go to French 508 00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:24,799 Speaker 1: broad so many people. So what what is Ashal to you? 509 00:35:24,960 --> 00:35:27,120 Speaker 1: What what makes it special? What made it home when 510 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:31,080 Speaker 1: you were here, like in five days? Um, you know, 511 00:35:31,120 --> 00:35:35,120 Speaker 1: when we boil that down to its essence, For Dan 512 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:38,040 Speaker 1: and I, we sometimes say it was food and babies. 513 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:42,319 Speaker 1: And what that meant to us was that we were 514 00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:46,400 Speaker 1: looking for a place to start our business. We were 515 00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:51,719 Speaker 1: looking for a place that supported entrepreneurs and with communities 516 00:35:51,760 --> 00:35:55,120 Speaker 1: that were supportive of small business, and a place that 517 00:35:55,200 --> 00:35:57,640 Speaker 1: we would want to raise our kids, place where we 518 00:35:57,640 --> 00:36:00,719 Speaker 1: could play outside UM and a place where we could 519 00:36:00,800 --> 00:36:05,560 Speaker 1: be a part of a community that wanted to engage 520 00:36:05,600 --> 00:36:09,319 Speaker 1: with each other and create an awesome life. And that's 521 00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:12,480 Speaker 1: what we saw here, and that's what we've experienced here 522 00:36:12,520 --> 00:36:16,880 Speaker 1: as people who are really engaged in making a difference 523 00:36:16,920 --> 00:36:19,600 Speaker 1: and in contributing in a positive way to the world. 524 00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:23,399 Speaker 1: And that's very energizing to be a part of that. 525 00:36:23,560 --> 00:36:27,680 Speaker 1: You know, it makes it makes us want to continue 526 00:36:27,719 --> 00:36:32,600 Speaker 1: to learn and grow and improve and and offer more ourselves. 527 00:36:35,040 --> 00:36:38,879 Speaker 1: Well said, yeah, I couldn't really add much to that 528 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:46,360 Speaker 1: other than that the city, this this region, everyone who 529 00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:49,560 Speaker 1: comes to us provides us with a mandate to keep 530 00:36:49,600 --> 00:36:54,759 Speaker 1: doing better. And UM it's felt more than it's necessarily expressed, 531 00:36:54,840 --> 00:36:58,239 Speaker 1: like keep doing better, m but but we feel it 532 00:36:58,880 --> 00:37:04,040 Speaker 1: because because people keep putting their trust in us, UM 533 00:37:04,200 --> 00:37:08,160 Speaker 1: to occupy the shoes that we've created for ourselves in 534 00:37:08,200 --> 00:37:11,680 Speaker 1: the center of downtown Nashville is part of the small 535 00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:16,319 Speaker 1: small business community. Recently, we we came to see the 536 00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:20,760 Speaker 1: investment community as being similarly supportive, like like the people 537 00:37:20,840 --> 00:37:24,839 Speaker 1: that are here aren't here because they you know, they're 538 00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:28,000 Speaker 1: they're out there. They're here for quality of life and 539 00:37:28,400 --> 00:37:32,280 Speaker 1: UM and they're excited to see to see people thrive. 540 00:37:32,640 --> 00:37:35,920 Speaker 1: And so that's that's the sentiment that it seems to 541 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:40,759 Speaker 1: be the common thread from the investment community to the 542 00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:43,839 Speaker 1: school community and on and onward from there. We can 543 00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:51,640 Speaker 1: talk about chocolate. We go to summer camp chocolate makers. 544 00:37:51,640 --> 00:37:56,480 Speaker 1: Did jail tell you about chocolate summer camp. We love 545 00:37:56,600 --> 00:38:00,279 Speaker 1: our chocolate making community. UM. We are friends, so we 546 00:38:00,320 --> 00:38:04,080 Speaker 1: are collaborators, we are supportive of one another. We learned 547 00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:08,680 Speaker 1: from each other, and we're building this industry together. UM. 548 00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:12,799 Speaker 1: We attend conferences and that's always been our favorite part 549 00:38:13,400 --> 00:38:17,200 Speaker 1: is you know kind of once you leave the classroom 550 00:38:17,239 --> 00:38:20,640 Speaker 1: where the lecture, getting into the hallway and just connecting 551 00:38:20,680 --> 00:38:24,279 Speaker 1: with each other. UM. So a bunch of us got 552 00:38:24,360 --> 00:38:27,480 Speaker 1: together and decided that we were going to have a 553 00:38:27,560 --> 00:38:30,680 Speaker 1: conference that was only the fun part, a fun conference, 554 00:38:31,239 --> 00:38:35,520 Speaker 1: and we rented a actual summer camp in upstate New York, 555 00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:38,000 Speaker 1: and people came from all over the world. There were 556 00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:41,640 Speaker 1: people from Switzerland and Japan and you know, coast to 557 00:38:41,680 --> 00:38:49,480 Speaker 1: coast United States and Canada and Brazil, Colombia, Columbia, and 558 00:38:49,560 --> 00:38:52,319 Speaker 1: we just hung out and went kayaking, canoeing, and did 559 00:38:52,440 --> 00:38:57,200 Speaker 1: archery and screen printed T shirts and just talk chocolate 560 00:38:57,280 --> 00:39:01,359 Speaker 1: and eat lots of chocolate, eat lots of lots of 561 00:39:01,640 --> 00:39:05,560 Speaker 1: homemade s'mores, you know, just nerded out over chocolate and 562 00:39:05,640 --> 00:39:08,399 Speaker 1: enjoyed each other's company. So so yeah, that's a good 563 00:39:08,400 --> 00:39:11,520 Speaker 1: thing to end on, is that we were I don't 564 00:39:11,560 --> 00:39:15,120 Speaker 1: think we mentioned enough the awesome community that we're in 565 00:39:15,200 --> 00:39:18,480 Speaker 1: and that's that's part of what provides us this mandate 566 00:39:18,560 --> 00:39:21,480 Speaker 1: to improve is to is to is to see the 567 00:39:21,520 --> 00:39:26,719 Speaker 1: rest of the chocolate world survive and thrive UM. And 568 00:39:26,840 --> 00:39:31,480 Speaker 1: that includes everyone in the whole supply chain, from from 569 00:39:31,520 --> 00:39:34,200 Speaker 1: the from the farmers and producers all the way to 570 00:39:34,200 --> 00:39:37,799 Speaker 1: to our colleagues who are making chocolate and then those 571 00:39:37,840 --> 00:39:41,680 Speaker 1: who are selling it, supporting these these uh these small 572 00:39:41,719 --> 00:39:47,800 Speaker 1: shops that have devoted themselves to a very challenging task 573 00:39:47,960 --> 00:39:54,360 Speaker 1: of of demystifying chocolate for for the buying public, teaching 574 00:39:54,400 --> 00:39:58,640 Speaker 1: people a whole new language, and exposing them to a 575 00:39:58,640 --> 00:40:02,440 Speaker 1: whole new world of uh a food that that for 576 00:40:02,600 --> 00:40:05,840 Speaker 1: the longest time was under under the grips of the 577 00:40:05,880 --> 00:40:10,600 Speaker 1: industrial world, and we're finally getting to reclaim it. I 578 00:40:10,760 --> 00:40:15,880 Speaker 1: just had hm um, the evolution of that thought that 579 00:40:15,960 --> 00:40:19,120 Speaker 1: I've shared so many times about chocolate being the thing 580 00:40:19,200 --> 00:40:23,200 Speaker 1: that makes that will make me happy, and coming to 581 00:40:23,520 --> 00:40:27,200 Speaker 1: understand that it is the people in chocolate that makes 582 00:40:27,200 --> 00:40:34,680 Speaker 1: me happy that it brings us to the end. This 583 00:40:34,880 --> 00:40:38,560 Speaker 1: another bonus interview. We hope that you enjoyed it as 584 00:40:38,640 --> 00:40:42,120 Speaker 1: much as we did. Yes, yes, absolutely, And yeah we 585 00:40:42,200 --> 00:40:45,240 Speaker 1: got to we get to sample some goods after this. Oh. 586 00:40:45,280 --> 00:40:48,799 Speaker 1: I had some mint chocolate chip ice cream that was 587 00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:52,439 Speaker 1: it was aces honestly. I had a chocolate chip ice cream, 588 00:40:52,520 --> 00:40:56,800 Speaker 1: chocolate chip cookie ice cream, not cookie dough. Okay, okay, 589 00:40:56,920 --> 00:40:59,200 Speaker 1: it was very very good. Yeah, and I think we 590 00:40:59,239 --> 00:41:03,960 Speaker 1: went back and we did that ate the sample. I 591 00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:06,759 Speaker 1: didn't tell you guys, there was a free sample. Oh right, 592 00:41:06,960 --> 00:41:12,080 Speaker 1: oh you monster, I know, I'm the worst. Oh, it's okay. 593 00:41:12,560 --> 00:41:16,399 Speaker 1: We would love to hear from you listeners. You can 594 00:41:16,440 --> 00:41:19,800 Speaker 1: email us at hello at saber pod dot com. We're 595 00:41:19,840 --> 00:41:22,640 Speaker 1: also on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, 596 00:41:22,680 --> 00:41:25,319 Speaker 1: and Instagram. We are at saber Pod at all of 597 00:41:25,360 --> 00:41:27,799 Speaker 1: those places. We do hope to hear from you. Thank you, 598 00:41:27,840 --> 00:41:30,120 Speaker 1: as always to our super producer Dylan Fagan, Thank you 599 00:41:30,160 --> 00:41:31,520 Speaker 1: to you for listening, and we hope that lots more 600 00:41:31,560 --> 00:41:33,120 Speaker 1: good things are coming your way