Ranch dressing was invented by Steve Hensen in the early 1950s while he worked as a plumbing contractor in Alaska. Part of his responsibilities included cooking for his coworkers. During his time in the kitchen, Hensen began to develop a buttermilk dressing. In 1956 Hensen and his wife, Gayle, purchased a 120-acre dude ranch near in the San Ynez Mountains in Southern California and renamed it Hidden Valley Ranch. Hensen began serving his buttermilk dressing to his guests. It became so popular, that he trademarked the name Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing.