Australian-born and internationally raised, James’s connection to food began in the family home. After flirting with different career choices, James took a plunge into professional kitchens in his early twenties, spending time in Byron Bay and Sumatra, before he decided to give vocation the attention it deserved and move to Melbourne to work for the maestro Andrew McConnell. Whilst most of his friends and colleagues looked to London for experience, James had his sights set on Paris, where shortly after arriving he went on to open and put beloved eatery, Au Passage, on the map, and subsequently his restaurant, Bones. The latter found fame as a raucous, good-time spot serving a hyper-seasonal fixed menu with a standing room only bar and a revolving blackboard menu. For the last five years, he has been working on the opening of this project, Le Doyenné.