Dame Pam Montgomery
Early childhood tragedy accelerated Pam’s self-reliance, independence and problem-solving ability. She was just shy of five-years when her mother died of polio.
A longstanding member of the Seattle Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier, Pam Montgomery started multiple businesses in her 20’s, but it was in Northwest cherries, chocolate and wine where she found her calling.
Her older sisters and newborn brother were sent to live with relatives in California, but Pam stayed with her father—a forester for Weyerhaeuser stationed in a tiny logging community outside of Olympia, Washington. On weekdays, Pam and her dad would climb into the work truck and drive into the mountains, walking for hours inspecting new tree plantings. The family eventually re-united, with Pam’s French-Canadian grandmother caring for Pam and her siblings for several years, during which time homemade soup, fruit cobbler and suet pudding were the heart of the home.
Fast forward to 1988: Pam and her young family escaped the bustle of Seattle to purchase the largest family-owned cherry orchard in Washington State. Eight thousand trees and three daughters (under the age of four) later, she had an idea. On her daily walk around the orchard, Pam noticed cherries left on the tree after harvest increased in natural sugar while slowly dehydrating. Their flavor was incomparable! A question nagged her, why couldn’t cherries be dried without adding sugar for a healthy year ‘round snack?
At the time, no one was drying cherries without using preservatives, sulfites or added sugars. Pam reached out to UC Davis—the research center for California’s raisin and prune industries. They told her it could not be done. Undeterred, Pam started experimenting on her own and found the natural sugars in cherries allowing the fruit to fully ripen on the tree were sufficient. Pam began dehydrating Bing and Rainier cherries with no added ingredients whatsoever.
Later, on a trip to London, Pam visited the famous Harrods department store and its huge art deco confectionery hall filled with European fruits, both preserved and chocolate covered. Visually, the display was stunning, and the naturally dried dark sweet cherries covered in chocolate astonished her. She purchased a jar to take home as inspiration to create a Pacific Northwest chocolate-covered cherry.
Over the next three decades, Chukar’s product line blossomed from naturally dried and chocolate-covered cherries to cherry and nut energy snacks, fruitful preserves and sauces, baked goods and granola, and most recently, regional wine and chocolate pairings—all made with clean ingredients and local cherries. When the pandemic stopped many businesses in their tracks, Chukar continued in its capacity as a food processor, selling goods at CHUKAR.COM.
Since 1988, Pam has remained the creative force in Chukar Cherries, creating a team culture committed to excellence in product development, customer retention and sustainability.
Perhaps Pam’s greatest contribution has been mentorship within her company. Notably, she’s willing to “take a chance” and hire young people in whom she sees potential, regardless of their level of work experience.
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