From Restaurants to Canines: Caroline Artiss, The Holistic Dog Chef

At SuperZoo this year, I was lucky enough to meet Caroline Artiss at the LickiMat booth, while exploring the growing trend of ecosystem partnerships in the pet care industry. During our conversation with Ramin Marzbani and Jane Ferguson of Innovative Pet Products, we delved into another favorite topic of mine, and discussed pet nutrition philosophy. Major manufacturers are focusing on minimal processing techniques, as discussed in my recent conversations with Dr. Greg Aldrich of Nulo and Dr. James Templeman of Primal Pet Foods, but in the latest episode of Petworking , we explored how Caroline is capitalizing on the shift towards whole food nutrition, while leveraging her impressive resume in the culinary industry, and her understanding of fresh ingredients and cooking techniques, with the founding of The Holistic Dog Chef.

Caroline's background is particularly fascinating. Starting her culinary training at age 15, she went on to become Executive Consultant Chef of The Gorgeous Kitchen in Heathrow Terminal 2, which was voted No. 1 Airport Restaurant in the World by the Daily Mail in 2015. Her career spans television appearances on BBC's America's Chef Race, her own series "Simply Caroline" for Malaysian TV, and collaborations with celebrity chefs including Jamie Oliver. She's also the author of three cookbooks: "Beauty Foods," "Natural Beauty Masks," and "The Gorgeous Kitchen." Most recently, she co-founded The Great American Fries Co. in Santa Monica, which earned recognition as one of LA's best fries establishments.

In my conversations with Dr. Aldrich and Dr. Templeman, we explored how minimal processing and ingredient selection impact nutrient availability and pet health. While there are many companies offering ways to introduce your pet to a minimally processed diet, whether it be fresh, fresh-frozen, freeze-dried, etc., Caroline is tapping into the increasing desire for fresh pet food by preparing it in her clients' homes, with consultation from a veterinary nutritionist. I found this component of her business particularly interesting, as it allows for her clients to obtain personalized meals, much like Royal Canin's Individualis. However, instead of kibble, Caroline brings a culinary lens to the same goal: providing pets with optimal nutrition through minimally processed, high-quality ingredients.

Just in time for Thanksgiving, I was fortunate enough to have Caroline join me on Petworking to discuss her transition from award-winning restaurant chef to personal dog chef, and her philosophy on optimal pet nutrition. She talked about her entry into the pet food industry after COVID-19 impacted her culinary businesses. She began working with a fresh dog food company in the Santa Monica Mountains, before launching The Holistic Dog Chef.

A key focus for Caroline is maintaining the nutritional integrity of ingredients while ensuring complete and balanced nutrition. Like many of the manufacturers we've discussed on Petworking, she emphasizes the importance of minimal processing. However, unlike companies producing shelf-stable products, she has the advantage of preparing meals fresh in clients' homes.

"I knew food. I knew fresh food - fresh food is all I know, and also nutrition," Caroline explained. Her background studying human nutrition provided a foundation, but she quickly recognized the unique challenges of pet nutrition.

"After speaking to the vets and all our consultants and just finding out what is going on the nutrition side for pets... I realized there were some ingredients that were not really suitable for any living thing that were being put into pet foods."

This observation aligns with concerns raised by Dr. Templeman about nutrient availability in highly processed foods, and Dr. Aldrich's comments about how cooking time and temperature affect nutritional bioavailability. Caroline addresses these concerns through fresh preparation, while working closely with veterinary nutritionists to ensure optimal nutrition.

"Medical conditions, you can't mess around with that stuff," she emphasized. "I'm the chef and obviously I know a lot about dog nutrition, but this is why I've teamed up with vet nutritionists and other vets." This collaborative approach allows her to combine culinary expertise with scientific rigor.

Her service, which starts at around $500 monthly for a small dog, provides a level of personalization similar to Royal Canin's Individualis program, but with fresh, whole ingredients. While this price point may seem high compared to traditional pet food, it's worth noting Dr. Aldrich's observation that most pet parents spend only about $2 per day on their pet's food - significantly less than they spend on their own nutrition.

Looking ahead, Caroline is launching "Little Paw Kitchen," a cooking show designed to make fresh pet food more accessible to a broader audience. Like the cooking demonstrations we've seen from companies like Stella & Chewy's at Global Pet and Superzoo, she plans to demonstrate how pet parents can incorporate fresh ingredients into their pets' diets, whether they feed exclusively fresh food or want to supplement kibble.

During our conversation, Caroline shared practical tips for pet parents, such as how to safely prepare Thanksgiving leftovers for dogs. Her advice echoes what we've heard from other experts about the benefits of rotational feeding and ingredient variety. "Dogs used to live off the scraps, but I think that they were actually very healthy then as well because it was all real food," she noted, adding that we're seeing increasing awareness of how real food impacts pet health.

Currently working with a small number of clients in the Los Angeles area, Caroline represents an emerging trend in personalized pet nutrition. As we've seen with the success of fresh pet food companies and the growth of minimally processed options, there's clearly a market for premium pet nutrition services. While not every pet parent can afford a personal dog chef, Caroline's approach and upcoming show offer insights into how we might better incorporate fresh, whole foods into our pets' diets.

Listen to the full episode to hear more about Caroline's journey from human chef to dog chef, and get practical tips for enhancing your pet's nutrition. Be sure to watch for the launch of Little Paw Kitchen in the coming weeks.

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