Chocolate Making, Sustainability and Community: A Love Story

Kelly Aaron — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 08:00:18 +0000

Of course chocolate making is always a love story. But this one goes much deeper.

One look at Jael and Dan Rattigan and you know: these two are madly, hopelessly, ridiculously utterly SMITTEN with each other. Good thing, too. They live, work, and parent together in a veritable whirlwind of activity that would make most of us dizzy. We should mention that they own French Broad Chocolates, producing some of the most revered chocolate in the country. Needless to say, we’re a little smitten with THEM! Their story is a beautiful amalgam of all the things they love: community, sustainability, chocolate making and each other.

The Rattigans seem like a love at first sight kind of couple. “Well,” Jael laughs, “it was something at first sight!” The basic synopsis reads thus: Dan was catering at Jael’s brother’s wedding, there was an evening full of flirty glances, eyelash batting, and an overt “you’re cute!” from Dan, with the romantic crescendo of Jael coming in for a kiss at night’s end. Then, Dan says, “I asked her in. Cooking for people has always been the way I express my feelings, and I thought my best chance with this lady would be a one-two punch of homemade farm-to-table food and Ella Fitzgerald on the stereo.” Swoon!

Jael & Dan set up shop in Asheville, North Carolina several years ago, by way of Costa Rica where they owned a cafe, Bread & Chocolate. “We were searching for a place to settle, belong and dig deep roots. We found it. Our community of friends and colleagues is so amazing, our business is thriving, and our kids are happy.” The original vision was to make chocolates at home and sell them at local markets, but financial reality set in and the French Broad Chocolate Lounge was born.

“The big idea was to create a fine chocolate shop, with comfortable seating, so you could stay and be with your chocolate”, Jael says. “We wanted to create a beautiful space and a beautiful menu; to see the emotional impact of our creations in the experiences of our guests; to achieve financial comfort, so that we could further hone our place in the community and lighten our environmental impact, all the while living as decent human beings.”

Clearly, they are doing something right. Well, more than something. A lot of things. Every evening, there’s a line in the chocolate lounge that fills the front room and spills out of the front door onto the sidewalk. People come in droves for their famously sinful Liquid Truffle, a box of Salted Honey Caramels made from local honey, one of their signature truffles (Vegan Fig & Port! Masala Chai! Mole Negro!) or a monumental slice of amazingly moist vegan chocolate cake. And, while there is no denying that the Rattigans make some of the best chocolate in the nation, there’s much more to it than that. Their commitment to sustainability and community is unparalleled, and it’s palpable from the minute you cross their threshold.

“Supporting our local farmers is still imperative to our company values. We seek to use all suitable ingredients that are grown in our foodshed…and we’ve made the commitment that if we can’t find it locally, we’ll try to find it direct from farmers or producers. If we can’t find it locally or direct, that’s when we rely on third party certification, such as organic or fair trade. Our definition of sustainability includes the environmental impact and growing practices, of course, but equally as important to us, is that our dollars fairly compensate the people involved in producing it (from farmer to server).”

We’ve all had an experiences with surly baristas, but the French Broad Chocolate Lounge is, refreshingly, the happiest of hives. The staff is not only knowledgeable and helpful, but they appear to truly love what they do. They SMILE, for crying out loud! The service industry has a notoriously high turnover rate, but the Rattigans retain employees for many years and promote nearly everyone into management roles. They are Living Wage Certified, offer a cost-share on health care services and treat their peeps to an annual “Celebration of Awesomeness”, which this year included costumes, a staff talent show and karaoke. (“Epic”, says Jael.)

“Our hiring tactic is to hire the people above the skills. If we interview someone who is interesting, engaging, positive and intelligent”, Jael muses, “we’ll hire them. We can teach them to be a barista or server, but you can’t teach a positive attitude or genuine desire to serve others! Whether they’re artists, farmers or yoga teachers, we seek creative people who are engaged in living a full life.”

As if their story weren’t already perfectly charming, in 2012 the pair opened a chocolate factory and tasting room, engaging in a bean to bar process, much to the delight of the foodie community. Producing their own chocolate was the only way to make their current product even more sustainable, more community-minded and of even higher quality. “We are one of very few craft chocolate makers who are directly importing the cacao we use. It’s important to us that we have personal relationships with the growers and producers of cacao, especially since it’s grown so far from where we live.”

When asked why they’ve been so successful in love, community and chocolate, Jael thinks the answer is simple: “We believe in living in a state of generosity.”

Related on EcoSalon

Valentine’s Day Recipe: Vegan Chocolate Fondue

A Look At The Human Hands Behind Our Food

Couples Therapy: Doing What You Love Builds Healthy Relationships

Photos courtesy of French Broad Chocolates

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Runway to Real Life: 7 Gorgeous Belts to Wear Right Now

Johanna Björk — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:50:09 +0000

We’ve got sustainable versions of 7 gorgeous belt trends spotted on the runways.

Belts are one of the season’s hottest accessories, seen all over the runways. They are also an easy way to dress up an outfit, giving it that little extra something that will set you apart from the crowd. Leather is and will continue to be a topic of controversy. If the leather is sourced and treated sustainably and the belt carefully made by hand, it’s a good investment piece since natural materials like leather do last for a very long time.

The fun thing about belts right now is that there are many different styles from which to choose — from ladylike double-wrap belts to bondage-like harness belts. Here are seven of our favorites.

Double Long Salmon Skin Belt by Leila Hafzi
Double-wrapped belts were seen at Victoria Beckham’s show, perfectly complementing her ladylike dresses with an edge. This one by Leila Hafzi is made from vegetable dyed salmon skin, a sustainable alternative to leather.
$110, Juno & Jove

Bow Skinny Belt by Brave Leather
Almost every single look at the Burberry Prorsum show featured a bow belt, in a variety of colors. While it’s still cold out, wear it on top of a jacket or trench coat, and for summer pair it with a dress or light blazer. We like pairing this belt style (available in a rainbow of colors) with an outfit that is not-so-sweet for a nice contrast. Brave Leather belts are hand crafted in Canada by skilled craftspeople, in a safe, ethical factory.
$60, Brave Leather

Wide Leather Belt by De Palma
Celine — which still seems to be every fashion editor’s favorite line — showed wide belts, worn low on the hips with wide-leg trousers and simple boxy tops — a look that I will personally copy this spring (while regretting what I said about low-waisted pants earlier). This simple, understated wide leather belt is hand made in California using vegetable-tanned leather coated with beeswax. Available in four different colors.
$143, De Palma Leather

Kim White Equestrian Belt
This look by Paul & Joe perfectly shows how to take the too-sweet edge off a girly summer dress. Cinch the waist with a corset-style wide belt in a metallic hue. This one by Kim White is handmade in the U.S. and has a gorgeous pewter-finish with just the right amount of shine.
$110, Kim White

Ashley Watson Obi Belt
Zac Posen’s Asian-inspired collection featured several different styles of traditional (and not-so-traditional) obi wrap belts. For a look that will work in real life, try this quilted one by Ashley Watson, made from super soft, guilt-free reclaimed leather. Also available in brown suede and light tan.
$124, Beklina

Leather Harness by Norisol Ferrari
Bondage-like leather harnesses were, somewhat surprisingly, seen on the runways of designers like Herve Leger and Monique L’huillier (as seen above). We like how a tough piece like this can add a definite edge to an outfit. This custom handcrafted leather harness by Norisol Ferrari was designed in collaboration with harness master Zana Bayne — she made the one Lady Gaga wears in her You and I video.
From $1200, AhaLife

Handmade Native American-Inspired Beaded Belt
Our bet as to what all the fashion bloggers will be wearing this season is a Native American-inspired beaded belt. They look great with low-waisted denim and summer dresses alike. Support the people whose heritage inspired this look and order yours from Native Arts Trading, who custom makes hand-beaded belts (and hat bands) to order.
From $395, Native Arts Trading.

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Chocolate Making, Sustainability and Community: A Love Story

Runway to Real Life: 7 Gorgeous Belts to Wear Right Now