Local Flavors: Paso Robles firm is a worldwide vanilla supplier

Raymond Lochhead’s life has been devoted to the bean. He founded his company here some 45 years ago

By Katy Budge

PHOTO BY KATY BUDGE

Working for R. R. Lochhead Manufacturing Co. in Paso Robles are, from left, Elizabeth Fillmore, Will Oetting, company founder Raymond Lochhead, Jose Fuerte and Don Schmidt.

Vanilla, cream and sugar: ‘A marriage of antiquity’

Raymond Lochhead feels that “the combination of vanilla, cream and sugar is perfect, a marriage of antiquity” in these recipes.

COOK’S VANILLA ICE CREAM

Makes: 1/2 gallon

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 5 cups whipping cream

• 1 tablespoon Cook’s Choice Pure Vanilla Extract

Combine sugar, cream and Cook’s Choice Pure Vanilla Extract.

Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours prior to freezing.

Churn-freeze according to ice cream maker’s instruction.

PURE VANILLA SHORTBREAD

Makes: 36 squares

• 3/4 cup butter

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon Cook’s Pure Cookie Vanilla Extract

• 2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream butter and sugar well; stir in Cook’s Pure Cookie Vanilla Extract.

Add flour gradually and mix to form a fairly stiff dough.

Press into a 9-inch square pan, and prick with fork.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until lightly browned.

Cut into 36 squares while still warm.

—Katy Budge

TO LEARN MORE ...

R. R. Lochhead Manufacturing Co. and Cook’s Flavoring Co. (both of which also produce a variety of other extracts, flavorings, and related products) are at 200 Sherwood Road in Paso Robles; Cook’s products are available online and at most grocery and culinary stores. For more information, visit www.rrlochhead.com or www.cooksvanilla.com , or call 800-735-0545 or 238-3400.

Unbeknownst to many, there’s an unassuming building on the east side of Paso Robles that’s a worldwide vanilla source to everyone from home chefs to dairies to industrial bakeries.

Raymond Lochhead established R. R. Lochhead Manufacturing Co. in 1963 (now also home to Cook’s Flavoring Co.).

As one of five children growing up in their father’s eponymous vanilla company in St. Louis, Raymond’s task at 4 years old was to tap corks into small bottles of vanilla extract—too hard and the bottles would break, too soft and the corks would pop out.

From there, in broad terms, Lochhead’s personal history mirrors that of his generation: college studies interrupted by World War II, serving as an officer in the U. S. Navy, returning to college with the help of the G. I. Bill (graduating from Cal Tech with chemistry and mechanical engineering degrees), re-entering the family business and starting a family of his own.

Finding a home in Paso

In the early 1960s, Lochhead landed at the Paso Robles airstrip on company business. After looking around town, he met with the city fathers, and very soon after, his own R. R. Lochhead Manufacturing Co. became a reality. With quality always first and foremost, the company eventually became involved in every aspect of the vanilla industry, including plantation and curing operations in Fiji, Indonesia and the Tonga Islands.

Expanding the business

Among Lochhead’s steadfast business relationships over the years was Ken Cook of Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, who—with Lochhead as his supplier — launched Cook’s Flavoring Co. in 1980. When Cook passed away in 1991, the retail company came into the Lochhead fold with daughter Josephine as president.

Between his family businesses and naval career, Lochhead has traveled the globe, including many places “that other people call ‘vacation land,’ … but in terms of quality of life, the Central Coast is the best place in the world to live,” he said.

Katy Budge is a freelance writer from Atascadero. If you have a favorite “Local Flavor” you’d like to see featured, e-mail your suggestions to ktbudge@sbcglobal.net .