Meet Chef Lisa Robinson | Private Chef & Jam Maker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chef Lisa Robinson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chef Lisa, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
LuLu Belle first came to fruition (pun intended) in the summer of 2020 at the height of Covid-19. As a trained private chef, catering chef, & food stylist, like hordes of people, my work ground to a halt in March 2020. Needing to channel my creative and physical energy I started making and selling jams, jellies and marmalades from locally sourced fruits found in Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Ojai, Ventura, and Oxnard.

Starting LuLu Belle was less about launching a business and more about following a feeling—of flavor, of memory, of California’s seasonal rhythm. As a private chef, I’ve always worked intimately with ingredients and clients, curating moments around the table. I found myself longing to share those experiences beyond one kitchen at a time.
I wanted to bottle that fleeting magic—the scent of ripe strawberries in Ventura, or orange blossoms in the citrus groves of Ojai, the simplicity of a jam or marmalade that tastes like it has a backstory. Suddenly having life slow to a crawl enabled me to refocus on a micro level. That’s how LuLu Belle was born. It’s more than jam; it’s an extension of my culinary philosophy: simple whole ingredients, whole heart, and a wink of whimsy.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Integrity sets me apart.
In the kitchen, in business, and in life—what you do when no one’s watching says everything. As a private chef, I don’t cut corners. I source ingredients responsibly, I honor the farmers and artisans I work with, and I treat every client’s table like it’s my own. That level of care isn’t negotiable—it’s the foundation of everything I create.

Having integrity also means showing up fully and honestly. I don’t pretend to be perfect or too polished. I lead with heart, a sense of humor, curiosity, and a deep respect for the process. That’s what makes LuLu Belle resonate: people can taste the simplicity in it. Minimally processed ingredients are combined with maximum soul.

I’ve taken a long circuitous route to get to where I am today, and it hasn’t been easy, but resilience, sticktoitiveness, and risk have guided me. From the Mojave Desert to San Francisco to New York to Los Angeles, I built my first career in Hollywood—on set, under pressure, behind the scenes of some of the most demanding productions. It taught me discipline, resourcefulness, and the power of a great story. Eventually, I felt pulled toward a different kind of storytelling—one that came from the kitchen.

Every risk I’ve taken has led me to something better. Uncertainty is often scary and rarely logical on paper, but the throughline is this: I’m often driven to be brave enough to be bad at something new.

To me food isn’t just nourishment—it’s connection, conversation and a continuance of heritage.
My roots have shaped everything about how I cook and how I live. I earned my BA at UC Berkeley, where I deepened my commitment to sustainability and social responsibility, then later in life went on to graduate from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Pasadena, CA. Those two worlds—intellect and activism, instinct and artistry— have helped define my path.

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?
While I am currently based out of Ventura, CA I lived in Los Angeles for over 13 years (Palisades, to Fox Hills, to Hollywood), and I will always love and appreciate LA. I visit monthly to fix a craving or try new restaurants, see art openings, go to concerts and take in a Dodger or Laker game!

A few of my favorite places to eat in LA:

Musso & Frank (Chicken Pot Pie Thursday nights)
Carney’s on Sunset
Bay Cities Italian Deli
Chez Jay
Tartine Santa Monica
Papa Cristo’s
Apple Pan
Langer’s (I need to go again soon as it’s rumored to be closing)
Grand Central Market (Ramen Hood and Ghost Sando specifically)
Cielito Lindo
Redbird
Yang Chow
LuLu Westwood (at the Hammer Museum)
République Café Bakery
A.O.C (3rd St)
Vespertine
Tsujita Noodles
Quarter Sheets

A few of my favorite places to visit in LA:
Hollywood Farmers’ Market
Amoeba Records
Griffith Park Observatory
Hollywood Bowl
The Wiltern
El Rey Theatre
Walt Disney Concert Hall
The Broad
Watts Towers
Bergamot Station
Palisades Park
Hotel Casa Del Mar
The Huntington Botanical Gardens (Rose Garden Tea Room)
Santa Anita Park

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
It was my Mom who first inspired me and taught me to cook. She introduced me to Chez Panisse and the culinary visionary Chef Alice Waters while I was studying at UC Berkeley. When Chef Waters published The Art of Simple Food in 2007, her philosophy of honoring ingredients and craft over complexity resonated deeply with me. It shaped how I thought about food—and about life.

Dining at Chez Panisse over the years became a kind of pilgrimage for me, a reminder of what truly matters. In February 2025, I was honored to stage at Chez Panisse and it was an incredibly meaningful full-circle moment. It affirmed that integrity, simplicity, and respect for ingredients aren’t just philosophies I admire—they are the principles I live and work by.

Website: LuLuBelleCA.com – currently under construction

Instagram: @lulubelleca

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-l-robinson

Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LuLuBelleCA

Image Credits
“Photos courtesy of Chef Lisa Robinson / LuLu Belle.”