The Chocolate Pod
Ever wonder what it really takes to turn cacao beans into incredible chocolate? The Chocolate Pod takes you behind the scenes with the passionate chocolatiers, makers, and innovators who are crafting some of the world's best small-batch chocolate. In every episode, you'll hear the real stories—the aha moments, the expensive mistakes, the late nights perfecting a recipe, and the pure joy of creating something people love. Whether you're a chocolate superfan curious about what makes craft chocolate special, an aspiring maker wondering if you could do this too, or just someone who appreciates a good origin story, you'll walk away inspired, informed, and probably craving chocolate.
I'm Zack Gallinger-Long, and if you've been to a craft chocolate festival, you might know me as "the Golden Ticket guy" (yes, I wear a shiny gold suit while my wife rocks a Chocolate Queen costume). We're not industry insiders—we're enthusiastic fans who fell in love with this community and wanted to share these incredible stories. I bring my background in business consulting and small business ownership to ask research-informed questions that matter: How do you scale? What does "bean-to-bar" actually mean in practice? What factors influence the chocolate industry? This is a show for anyone who believes that the best stories are found in the passion, craft, and people behind what we love.
Episodes
6 episodes
Women in Craft Chocolate: Live from the Oregon Chocolate Festival
This week on The Chocolate Pod, we’re bringing you a live recording from the Oregon Chocolate Festival, featuring a panel of women shaping the craft chocolate industry.Hosted by Darlene Gallinger-Long, this conversation brings t...
Missionary Chocolates: Dr. Melissa Berry, ND
How does someone go from studying naturopathic medicine to building a chocolate company?For Dr. Melissa Berry, the answer began with a simple act of care: creating a chocolate her mother could safely enjoy. What started as small experime...
Branson's Chocolates: Deena Branson
When a long-standing chocolate shop in Ashland, Oregon closed its doors, Deena Branson saw a craft worth carrying forward.After purchasing the equipment from the store, she founded Branson’s Chocolates and drew on her experience i...
AhHome Chocolate: Evergreen Love
It all began with the Chocolate Team. A love cultivated since childhood…AhHome Chocolate is the brand founded by Evergreen Love, built on that early devotion and shaped by years of persistence. Today, that vision lives inside a chocolate...
Arcay Chocolates: Anabella Arcay
Arcay Chocolates is a family-owned chocolate business in Washington D.C. The founder, Annabella Arcay, started making chocolates in her home country of Venezuela in her kitchen in 2006. Over the years, Annabella became a master chocolati...