Meet the maker
Fresco Chocolate
About Fresco
Fresco Chocolate was founded in 2010 in Lynden, Washington by computer scientist Rob Anderson. Rob had his career set in astrophysics, studying Physics at the University of California. However, he slowly started to realise that this wasn’t the road for him, and instead began working as a network design Engineer – a job that “was a blast”. Rob’s career eventually led him up north, leaving California for Washington State. Yet, a trip in 2003 brought him back home to California. During this trip, Rob found himself joining a tour of Scharffen Berger’s chocolate factory – it was here that his love for chocolate intensified. Today, Rob’s engineering-mindset has transferred – appropriately – onto chocolate-making. Rob strives to use the best possible ingredients and change the variables that affect taste, texture, and aroma – one variable at a time. Most chocolate makers go through a similar process when creating their bars, but will settle on one cacao percentage, roast and conch time for the finished bar. Fresco use just three ingredients in their bars; cocoa beans, cane sugar and cocoa butter. Yet its range is extensive and diverse. From the subtle and delicate to the vibrant and intense, it’s truly amazing just how much difference changing a single variable can have on the flavour of chocolate.
Fresco’s booth at the 2016 Northwest Chocolate Festival in Seattle. From left to right: Tabitha (daughter), Rob, Jessica (employee), Amy (spouse and business partner), Amber (daughter), Shu (employee).
How they became makers…
When Rob’s role as a manager at an electronic manufacturing company was strained by an industrial recession in 2003, he realised that while working under somebody, he would never truly be in charge of his own destiny. So, Rob decided to figure out what he wanted to do when he grew up – his love for chocolate had always been a running theme in his life, and with 5 years of perserverance, Rob’s interest in chocolate making turned from something trivial into a deep-rooted passion.
Fresco’s Sourcing
Fresco uses direct trade; Rob works with a small number of trusted importers who work directly with the farmers and pay premium pricing. There’s complete transparency with the farm gate pricing paid to the farmers, and he highly touts direct trade as the best method for insuring farmers receive fair wages. Currently, Fresco sources its cacao from five regions: Dominican Republic, Madagascar, Peru, Papua New Guinea, and their most recent region to join the group, the Polochic Valley in central Guatemala. The company also receives solicitations from roughly three to four cacao providers weekly, asking Fresco to try their beans.
Want to explore more makers of the world's best craft chocolate? Just start typing their name (or any letter) into the search box to discover them.
20° Nord 20° Sud
9th & Larkin
Åkesson’s
Amaro
Ara
Aroko
Askinosie
Auro Chocolate
AWKI
Baianí
Bare Bones
BeanCraft
BOHO Chocolate
Bonnat
Butterfly
Cacaoken
Cacaosuyo
Carambole
Casa Cacao
Castronovo
Chapon
Choco Del Sol
Chococard
Chocokoo
Chocolarder
Chocolat Madagascar
Chocolate Tree
Chocolatemakers
Chocolaterie Robert
ChocoMe Atelier
Coco Caravan
Cocoa Retreat
Conexion
Contour Chocolate
Cuna de Piedra
Dandelion Chocolate
DesBarres
Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate
Dormouse Chocolates
Duffy’s Chocolate
Encuentro
ENRICHD
Erithaj Chocolat
Ethereal
Feitoria do Cacao
Firetree
Fjåk
Forever Cacao
Fossa
Foundry Chocolate
Franceschi
French Broad Chocolates
Friis Holm
Fruition
Fu Wan Chocolate
Georgia Ramon
Goodnow Farms Chocolate
Grenada Chocolate Company
Hasnaâ La Feverie
Heinde & Verre
Herencia Esmeraldas
Herufek
Höganäs
Hogarth
Ivee Promenade
Jordi’s Chocolate
Junglegold Bali
Kankel
Karuna
Krak Chocolade
Land
Latitude
LIM
Luisa Abram
Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates
Lumineux
Manoa
Manufaktura Czekolady
Marana
Marou
Maüa
Mellow
Menakao
Metiisto
MIA
Mike & Becky
Milz Chocolat
Minka
Mirzam
Misina Cokolada
MOKA
Mucho
Nadalina
Naive
NearyNogs
ÓBOLO
Ocelot
Oialla
Omnom
Original Beans
Palette de Bine
Parliament
Plaq
Pralus
PRIDI Cacaofevier
Puchero
Pump Street Chocolate
Pure Imagination
Qantu
Raaka
Raphio Chocolate
Reine Astrid
Ritual Chocolate
Rózsavölgyi Csokoládé
Ruket
Shattell
Sirene
Sisters A. Chocolate
Solomons Gold
Soma
Standout Chocolate
Storm & Bille
Stranger
Svenska Kakaobolaget
Table
Taza Chocolate
TBROS
The Careless Collection
Theobroma Cacao
Tibito
Tobago Cocoa
Tosier
Utopick
Vinte Vinte
Willie’s Cacao
Zotter
