Chef Dan Rattigan of French Broad Chocolate Lounge - Biography

Like his wife, Jael, Dan Rattigan dropped out of school, seeking fulfillment outside of a career in law and in a future in chocolate-making. His chocolate filled adventures began in 2004, when he and Jael bought an abandoned cacao farm in Costa Rica. With no formal culinary education, Rattigan learned the craft through cookbooks, textbooks, and online classes. After launching their dessert shop Bread and Chocolate on the Caribbean Coast, the duo moved to Asheville, North Carolina and established French Broad Chocolate Lounge. Following the lounge’s immediate sweet success, Rattigan ventured to Peru with the intention of making chocolate from bean-to-bar.