Ranch dressing is the most American of salad dressings, and its so American that it isnt even just for salads. Its a salad dressing that goes on pizza, fries, and baby carrots. You could say its more of a condiment. Its a Doritos flavor. Its a dip. Its a cultural phenomenon. But why is it called ranch? And why is it most notably made by a company called Hidden Valley Ranch? Is that a real place? Is it full of ranch dressing? (Yes, its a real place. No, its not full of ranch dressing.)
The true story of Hidden Valley Ranch is where rugged individualism, adventurous cowboys, and the romance of the wide-open American West meet food science, corporate conglomerates, and capitalism. Hidden Valley Ranch started out more or less by accident, then became a cottage industry, and then became a salad dressing superstar. Lets dive into Hidden Valley Ranchs backstory and see how it came to be such a popular salad dressing.
The Hidden Valley® Guest Ranch is located near Santa Barbara in California and was favored by visitors who wanted to enjoy the natural surroundings. To read more about how this Ranch dressing became so popular, click here. We are always adding fresh and delicious new recipes to our site!
By the early 1970s, Hidden Valley Ranch dressing had grown much too big for its home. Processing had to move offsite, and the ranch became the corporate headquarters. For a time, the dressing mix was blended at Griffith Laboratories in San Jose then shipped down to Los Angeles to be packaged in a 65,000-square-foot facility at the rate of 35,000 packets every eight hours. Operations were later set up in Colorado and in Nevada.
Henson was born in tiny Thayer, Nebraska, in 1918. At 16, under the impact of the Depression, he rode the rails to California. Here he worked at various occupations until, in 1949, he and his wife, Gayle, moved to Alaska. There he enjoyed success as a plumbing contractor in and around Anchorage and at age 35, he was able to retire. The couple settled in Santa Barbara, but after a year and a half, Henson found himself restlessly searching for something to do. He had always been attracted to ranching, so in 1956, he purchased the Sweetwater Ranch up on San Marcos Pass. He soon renamed the spread Hidden Valley Ranch.
The idea was to operate Hidden Valley as a guest ranch, offering fishing, riding, hiking, and other outdoor activities. The ranch also offered hearty home-cooked meals. Guests were particularly taken by the unique dressing that graced the salads. Henson had come up with the recipe while trying to keep his hungry work crews happy in Alaska. The dressing was made with buttermilk and mayonnaise and was enlivened with herbs and spices such as garlic, onion, pepper, and parsley.
Michael Redmon, director of research at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, will answer your questions about Santa Barbara’s history. Write him c/o The Santa Barbara Independent, 122 West Figueroa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.
In 1972, Henson sold the business to the Clorox Company and settled down once again to a life of leisure and travel. Ranch dressing remains incredibly popular. An online search yields over 2 million results. And to think it all started in the mountains above our fair city.
There was an actual Hidden Valley Ranch
Hidden Valley Ranch is not just a brand name, but a real place. In 1956, after Steve Hensons Alaska contract was up, he and Gayle moved down to Santa Barbara, California, and bought the Sweetwater Ranch – which they then renamed Hidden Valley Ranch. Their goal was to make the ranch a dude ranch or guest ranch, with outdoor activities, a guest house, and of course, hearty, home-cooked meals.
The ranch was later described by Alan Barker, a former employee who worked at the ranch from 1959 to 1963, in a letter to the LA Times “as a sort of country club, nightclub, dude ranch in the mountains.” Barker recalled, “The ranch was not received well and promptly went broke. During my stay, we lived on peanut butter sandwiches and leftovers from parties thrown there by UCSB fraternities and sororities.”
The saving grace of the Hidden Valley Ranch turned out to be Hidden Valley Ranch (dressing). Guests fell in love with salad dressing, demanding jars of the stuff to take home, and soon a mail-order business for ranch seasoning packets completely took over the Hidden Valley Ranch. If youre seriously in need of soaking up the brands history, the first restaurant that served Hidden Valley Ranch dressing back in 1963, Cold Spring Tavern, is still open today.
Visit the real birthplace of ranch dressing
FAQ
Why can’t i find Hidden Valley Ranch at the store?
Was Hidden Valley Ranch invented in Alaska?
Was ranch dressing invented in Santa Barbara?