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who invented ranch dressing

Ranch dressing was invented by a Nebraska-born plumber and occasional cook named Steve (Steven) Henson in the early 1950s.

Quick Scoop

  • Steve Henson created the original ranch dressing while working as a plumbing contractor and cooking for his crew in the Anchorage, Alaska area in the early 1950s.
  • He later moved with his wife, Gayle, to California and bought a guest ranch near Santa Barbara, which they renamed Hidden Valley Ranch in 1956.
  • The dressing he served there became so popular that they began selling dry seasoning packets so people could make “ranch” at home, which helped turn it into a nationwide staple.

So, when someone asks “who invented ranch dressing,” the widely accepted answer is Steve Henson, whose Hidden Valley Ranch turned his buttermilk‑herb concoction into one of America’s favorite dressings.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.