Coming from a foodie family, James Egan spent most of his childhood in kitchens and familiarising himself with the day-to-day operations. With a mum for a chef, James’ appetite for cooking only continued to grow as he did which led him to commence a pastry apprenticeship at 15 years of age. Once qualified, he moved to high-end hotels where he completed commercial cooking qualifications to ensure a thorough understanding of his way around a kitchen. It didn’t take long before James solidified himself as a promising young chef with a silver medal in Australia’s largest cooking competition for chefs under 25, the ‘Nestle Golden Hats’ award. Prior to joining the team at Daintree Ecolodge, James worked in a number of luxury resorts including Arajilla at Lord Howe Island, located off the coast of New South Wales and the Northern Escape Collection’s very own Orpheus Island Lodge.