Meet James Brownrigg | Chef & Founder of Longtable

We had the good fortune of connecting with James Brownrigg and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi James, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’ve always had a creative streak and always been a bit of a dreamer. But instead of heading straight into a creative path, I went to university and studied business – it seemed like the smarter choice at the time and definitely something that helped me greatly in my career. When I graduated, I found myself staring down the barrel of corporate roles that I knew would’ve made me miserable. I couldn’t picture myself in a suit, behind a desk, chipping away at something that didn’t spark anything in me. So I booked a one-way ticket to Europe. It felt like a risky move at the time, but it was the best decision I could’ve made and is where I first found a love for cooking and how food can bring so many cultures together.

I love how there are endless possibilities to be creative with food. It’s not an occupation where you can ever really know everything; every honest chef will tell you that they’re still learning, because there’s always something to learn. Even when you feel accomplished in your cooking, your individual taste is constantly evolving – what I liked 5 years ago is different to what I like now, which in a way has forced me to keep being creative.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
After years helping others open restaurants, grow hospitality brands and push new concepts, I always knew I’d eventually want to build something of my own. I established myself as a chef in Sydney working for a small café group that, over the decade I was there, we grew into a major hospitality outfit.

It was an incredible ride, but as my role and the business got grew, I found myself drifting further from what that made me fall in love with the industry in the first place – the people, the little interactions, the spontaneous moments that can genuinely make someone’s day. It’s easy for hospitality to become a scripted, rigid an inflexible when you scale; in many ways it has to, but I wanted to create something that really listens to what people want.

I moved to the US to help grow a different hospitality group, using the knowledge I’d gained in Australia. I saw it as a chance to turn the clock back ten years and do it all again with a more experienced perspective. Moving from Australia to the US was a huge risk. I left a stable role, a community I’d spent years building and a country where people already knew my work. The business ended up selling after six months which was a shock at the time, but honestly a blessing in disguise. It gave me the final push I needed to back myself, step out on my own and build Longtable, something far more aligned with who I am.

I wanted to take everything I’ve learnt over the years and bring a restaurant-level experience directly to people in their own space; without the heavy constraints that come with running a physical venue. I’ve always loved the culture around restaurants: the creativity, the pace, the constant evolution but I wanted to reconnect with what drove me to hospitality in the first place.

At our core, we believe in using food and shared moments to strengthen the fabric between people. If we can create more of those moments in a city as fast-moving as LA, then I feel that’s a small but meaningful contribution to the community we’re part of. I’m proud that the business is rooted in connection on all levels, we work hard to source from local farmers and small suppliers.

For me, our success has a lot to do with the way people feel when they interact with me or the brand. If you show up with warmth, attention to detail and genuine care every single time, people remember you. Longtable works because it’s personal, I’m the one at the markets choosing the produce. I obsess about the small details in the cooking, hosting, setting the tone, and making sure every element feels intentional.

What I want people to know about Longtable is that we’re not a traditional catering company. We’re restaurant dining without the restaurant; spontaneous, flavor-driven, human hospitality brought to the spaces where people feel most themselves. And what I hope people take away from my story is that good things happen when you back yourself, trust your taste and build something that feels true to who you are.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I spend most of my time around West LA so if a good friend was visiting, I’d want to show them the places I like to spend time – it’s usually a lot of eating but nothing overly glamorous or pretentious.

For Breakfast:

Gjusta is always a go-to. As a chef, I love walking in and smelling dough fermenting and bread hitting the oven. There’s movement everywhere, it makes me feel relaxed hearing the sound of the kitchen working in the background.

I enjoy getting up early and making the drive down to Malibu for a beach walk, usually hunting down a breakfast burrito on the way through.

I’d also take them to Uncle Bill’s Pancake House in Manhattan Beach. It’s old-school, packed with locals, and the perfect spot before a stroll along the pier to walk it off.

For Dinner:

For dinner, RVR is a local favourite; izakaya dishes, great cocktails, and a good energy without trying too hard. I have an affinity for skewers, I just think it’s such a great way to cook and enjoy multiple different ingredients over a single meal.

At some point we’d grab a takeaway pizza from Gjelina (I’m into their fennel salami and Calabrian chili pizza w/ extra chili) and take it down to the beach to watch the sunset over the ocean.

Dudley Market is hard to beat, especially if you can get a table outside on a warm evening. Great selection of natural wine, vinyl music and some of the freshest seafood around. I love the fact that they catch their own fish.

Late night, we might end up at Hinano Cafe. The burger’s solid and it comes with a chefs-choice bag of chips (the chips go in the burger). It’s rough around the edges in all the right ways.

For Lunch:

We’d definitely hit a taco truck more than once. I don’t overthink it; when hunger hits, I just beeline to the closest one. They’re almost always great.

I’d take them to KazuNori for an omakase-style lunch and order “The Nozie” the chef’s selection with their iced green tea.

I would take them to Smorgasburg on a Sunday – it’s such a great way to show people from out of town a bunch of different vendors in one place.

One of my favorite things to do is entertain, so I’d pick up some fresh seafood from Joint Seafood and hit the Santa Monica Farmers Market for produce (Wednesday is the best day to go) and cook outdoors at home. There’s nothing better than an afternoon lingering around a table eating great food and enjoying each others company.

That’s the LA I’d show them – relaxed, flavor-forward, plenty of time outdoors and built around good food and good company.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There’s so many people who’ve helped me grow to be the person I am today. Most of all my wife, who’s travelled the world with me chasing opportunities in the food industry, been my most honest critic as well as my biggest supporter. Also, the people who took a chance on me early on and showed me you can really create anything if you put your mind to it. Not to mention the teams I’ve had the pleasure of working with that have taught me so much along the way.

Website: https://longtable.la/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blimeychef/

Other: https://www.instagram.com/longtable.la/