Meet Ruth Kennison | Chocolate Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ruth Kennison and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ruth, every day, we know how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
The Chocolate Project was the natural evolution of my lifelong love affair with chocolate.

My first job, at 16, was in a high-end candy shop at Faneuil Hall in Boston. Years later, after working in television production, I turned to baking. My dear friend Clemence de Lutz—who was opening a cooking school and now owns the renowned Petitgrain Boulangerie in Santa Monica—gave me a choice: become her bread expert or her chocolate diva. How could I resist the second?

Determined to immerse myself in the craft, I trained at a chocolate academy in Chicago and studied chocolate-making at the French Pastry School. Then came Paris, where I met Chloé Doutre-Roussel, a globally recognized chocolate expert. She introduced me to the world of bean-to-bar chocolate, and everything changed.

I followed her on my first origin trip to Mexico, where I stood in the middle of a cacao farm, holding a cacao pod for the first time. My mind was blown. If I, a lifelong chocolate lover, had never truly understood where chocolate came from, how many others didn’t either? That moment sparked my mission: to become a chocolate educator and evangelist, dedicated to sharing the magic of chocolate from bean to bar.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
If you love chocolate, you should know where it comes from.

Many conscious consumers can tell you exactly where their strawberries were picked, how their chickens were raised, even which farm their duck came from. But when it comes to chocolate? Not so much.

When I give talks on chocolate or teach bean-to-bar chocolate making in hands-on workshops, I want to pull back the curtain on every step of the chocolate-making process—from how it’s grown and who’s growing it to how it’s crafted and presented to the consumer.

My favorite moments are when I see that aha in someone’s eyes—the moment they realize they never really understood chocolate until now. They thought they knew, but now they get it. I want people to walk away from my events as smarter, more discerning chocolate consumers—aware of the craftsmanship, the ethics, and the true value behind this beloved product.

There’s a reason craft chocolate is expensive. When every step of the process is handled with care, from the farmer at the equator to the final bar in your hands, that’s worth more than what meets the eye.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Day 1: A Perfect Start
Morning must begin at Petitgrain Boulangerie in Santa Monica, where my friend Clémence de Lutz bakes some of the finest croissants and pain au chocolat you’ll ever taste. Next, we’d grab coffee—and maybe some arepas—at Café Bolívar, courtesy of José Carvajal.

From there, we’d indulge in LA’s chocolate scene, starting with Milla Chocolates in Culver City, where my former student Christine Sarioz crafts the most refined bonbons in town. At Monsieur Marcel in the Original Farmers Market, we’d explore a jaw-dropping library of artisan craft chocolate (plus olive oils, cheeses, wines and so much more) from around the world.

Day 2: Chocolate & Culture
We’d venture to Echo Park to visit the brand new Chocolate Dispensary—a curiosity cabinet of exquisite craft bars. Then, further east in Pasadena, we’d stop by Artisanal Goods by Car, where Haris Car serves up single-origin drinking chocolates from places like Peru and Nicaragua. Saffy’s in Hollywood is a delicious spot for dinner afterwards (if you can nab a reservation).

Day 3: A Food Lover’s Dream
Quiadaiyn in Mar Vista is our “Oaxacan Cheers”—where everyone knows our name, and the mole is life-changing. Over in Westchester, Tomat (tucked in an unassuming parking lot, so very LA) is a Michelin-recognized new hotspot run by chef Harry Posner. He blends Persian, British and Japanese flavors in an unforgettable way. For pizza perfection, Pizzeria Sei on Pico is a tiny, magical spot turning out Tokyo-Neapolitan pies.

Day 4: Ultimate LA Indulgence
If we’re lucky enough to score a reservation, the pinnacle of the trip would be a meal at N/Naka—an extraordinary kaiseki experience that’s pure art on a plate.

Days 5-7: Exploring LA’s Best Kept Secrets
Two Hommés is an “Afro-centric eatery” in Inglewood for Sunday brunch or dinner anytime. Beyond the food, we’d mix in some of my favorite haunts—maybe catching live jazz at Sam First by LAX, playing paddle tennis (aka “Venice tennis”) on the boardwalk in Venice Beach, or exploring the latest art at The Hammer in Westwood. And of course, we’d leave plenty of time for spontaneous discoveries, because LA is a city that rewards the curious.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I give a shoutout to all the small artisanal craft chocolate makers who work arm-deep in chocolate to make sure we consume fine-flavored chocolate made from sustainable, traceable, well-tended beans without child labor in the supply chain. A special shout-out to some influential women makers who live in different corners of the globe – Monica Rogan of Goodnow Farms Chocolate in the US, Cynthia Leung of Soma Chocolate in Canada and Juliana Aquino of Baiani Chocolate in Brazil. That’s a lot to consider but if you’re eating industrial or mass-produced chocolate, you’re supporting unfair trade practices, dubious labor conditions, and second-rate ingredients. Support artisan chocolate makers – especially the women in this tough but fulfilling industry.

Website: https://www.chocolate-project.com

Instagram: @chocproject

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-kennison-a195671

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chocproject

Image Credits
The credits are Ruth Kennison, except for the chocolate bonbon images, which are Larry Hirshowitz final pic of Ruth with pod is credited to Monica Rogan.