Member Focus: Crisha Ari

Tell us about yourself!

I am originally from Melbourne, Australia. I lived in NYC for four years and now New Orleans for the past three years. I feel like I’ve taken leaps and bounds in the last few years, but originally I was a chef. I worked in both casual and fine dining in Melbourne, Tasmania, and New York. Over time, I became more interested in sourcing— I wanted to answer questions like, where do ingredients come from? Who’s getting paid for it? Are we eating in an ethical and sustainable way? I was really lucky to connect with Arianna, who founded Forested, and she gave me a chance to build out their direct-to-consumer and business-to-business lines.

This work centers around building supply chains with sustainability in mind, prioritizing forest conservation and elevating the stories of Indigenous communities across the Global South. Transitioning from chef to working with Forested has been inspiring; it’s made me think of food in three dimensions. It’s not just about what’s on our plate—it’s also about how ingredients are harvested, who’s doing the harvesting and what are their current problems, and if it’s done in a regenerative way. For instance, with an ingredient like honey, we consider if it’s sourced from land-regenerative principles that have been practiced for generations or from monocultures that don’t give back to the land and its people.

We started with a line of single-origin honeys and worked on that for two years. While there’s a lot of impact in food and beverage, we eventually decided to pivot toward working with skincare and cosmetic companies. Now, we reach out to personal care brands we admire. We’re currently working on regenerative projects with Lush, amika, and Eva NYC. Fingers crossed for the day when personal care brands come to us, but for now, we’re showing them that we have sustainable and ethical sources for their raw material needs.

What is your niche as a chef?

I’d say I’m a proud generalist. I enjoy a bit of everything. I started baking cakes when I was around seven years old and even sold wedding cakes in university. I’m self-taught in patisserie, and when I began working in kitchens, it was mostly in modern Australian styles with influences from the Middle East and Spain.

What made you want to move to New Orleans?

Definitely the community, the food, and the music. Coping with COVID in NYC was intense for a lot of people, and I wanted to go somewhere where I could slow down and focus on building Forested without the chaos of New York.

What do you do for fun?

I love Patron Saint; Leslie and her team are really cool people and down to make wine fun. I’m definitely more of a coffee and pastry person right now —my current favorite spot is Lagniappe Bakery, which just opened in Central City, and I also have weekly sessions at Levee Bakery and Ayu Bakehouse.

Is there anything you want people to know?

If anyone is interested in sourcing with a regenerative mindset, or needs confidential kitchen advice , I’m always up for a chat!