DARK HORSE ORGANIC: A Wellness Brand Unlike Any Other
NATURE AND INTENT JOURNAL profiles conscious brand owners that create a meaningful impact through living their nature and intent.
We’re so excited to feature Los Angeles-based chef, Greg Arnold, (Founder of the wellness brand Dark Horse Organic) and his business and real-life partner, Lindsay Berman!
Read on to learn more about the inspiration behind the cult-favorite wellness brand Dark Horse Organic, how they integrate art into their brand, and how they use the fermentation & ancient modern cooking approach to their line of conscious condiments.
Greg, how is it transitioning from Chef to starting Dark Horse Organic? What inspired you to start a food and wellness brand?
Greg: After opening restaurants and being a chef for about 10 years, working dinner service almost everyday, I had become burned out and disillusioned by the whole restaurant industry in general. Through the process of recovering and realigning myself after all those years, my personal lifestyle and outlook regarding health changed immensely. So, making the transition felt very organic and natural for me as it was just an honest reflection of the path my life was already taking. Through the years of developing menus, I had a large repertoire of tricks up my sleeve in the realms of fermentation, umami, and Ancient Modern techniques which I really just wanted to share with people who enjoy the lifestyle of cooking at home. As we all make changes in our lives trying to live more organically/sustainably and with a higher focus on consciousness, I really wanted to elevate the pantry staples that we all grew up with and love. That’s how Dark Horse was born.
How did you come up with the name ‘Dark Horse Organic?’ What’s your inspiration?
It has a double meaning for me. The first most obvious one is that the company is named after George Harrison as they always called him the dark horse in The Beatles. And his album, All Things Must Pass, is one of the most beautiful records ever made. The second meaning is just being the dark horse, sort of the black sheep in an industry where at times, everything seems a little over homogenized… like, having branding that comes more from the influence of high art, skateboard graphics, and an old 70’s album art as opposed to more generic food and supplement branding.
We love your branding! It’s so unique from most of the food & wellness brands currently in the market. How does the role of art play in your branding for Dark Horse Organic?
Greg: Aside from things I was just speaking about, I am super influenced by traditional and modern Japanese design and packaging. It’s always been a big part of my life. Also, the work of Japanese photographers like Daido Moriyama and Nobuyoshi Araki mixed in with the dada and abstract expressionist sensibilities of people like Marcel Duchamp, Cy Twombly, David Lynch, and Anselm Kiefer. The Bauhaus School also plays a huge part in the overall color schemes of all the graphic design work.
Lindsay, what is your role at Dark Horse Organic and how has it evolved over the years?
Lindsay: I first started helping with labeling and shipping, as well as helping Greg at events. Simply, it was a fun role for me and a way to spend time together. We have a yin yang energy and it shows at events we put on. I started taking over the business side of Dark Horse because we felt Greg needed the room to expand within the art and development of Dark Horse.
Lindsay and Greg, how long have you had Peggie and what is her favorite dish?
We have had Peggie for a little over a year. She is almost a year and a half. We like to make her bowls for dinner that have rice, meat, lots of fresh vegetables, and little bits of different types of organic baby food. She also really loves nori, popcorn, lotus root chips from Erewhon, and Wagyu jerky.
Lindsay, can you share your journey with food and in wellness?
Lindsay: I have tried most diets… I even identified myself as a raw vegan for over 5 years. I have come to a place of releasing labels as it puts you in a box. I follow my intuition in regards to food and allow myself to love my food so it can love me back. But, that took time. When Greg and I started living together two years ago, I was scared to eat restaurant quality food every night. We’re taught that food will make us gain weight. I adjusted my thinking the moment the fear came to my mind and I allowed myself to appreciate every beautiful meal he makes and I haven’t gained one pound.
Lindsay and Greg, how is being in partnership as both a couple and in business? What are the benefits and challenges? Any kitchen or work boundaries?
We enjoy what we do and enjoy our time together in our relationship in and out of business. We have complimentary energy, which really allows us to create a beautiful relationship and business. We don’t have any set boundaries/rules. We would think those would be constraining and you could outgrow them. Our approach is simply to communicate whatever may be needed to be discussed and then, we divide up what needs to be done according to each of our specialities and strong points.
Follow Dark Horse Organic on Instagram @darkhorseorganic. Photos and interview by Kristine Lo.
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