Today we’d like to introduce you to Balo Orozco.
Hi Balo, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I’ve been a chef for 14+ years, and since I lived in Mexico, I have been working with local farmers and fishermen in the most sustainable way. So even in the last restaurant I was running in Los Angeles – Onda, in Santa Monica- we were reaching out to butchers trying to get the parts of animals that sold the least because, as chefs, it was more fun and challenging to come up with dishes that our guest crave and were excited for. During the pandemic, when we had to close the restaurant, I was able to visit more farms, and seeing the huge waste, I wanted to do a bigger impact about it so I started Sunset Cultures as just a small project, and now even very small, we love our community and love that farmers reach out letting me know the waste that they might have, and we can plan and do something fun with it. Sometimes, the waste doesn’t mean that it’s seconds; sometimes, it’s a really good harvest, but not enough demand. We are very excited for this year; we have big changes and big collaborations with some of the best chefs and farmers.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Biggest challenge is probably capital, funds & resources
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I care about people eating good food and having good time, good experience, sustainable, local, simple, and delicious.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Restaurants have been changing always, but I’m very excited for the food scene right now in Los Angeles with all the chefs who aren’t working in restaurants and doing their own project and others who are taking over older places.
Contact Info:
- Website: sunsetculturesla.com
- Instagram: sunset cultures
