James Ingram was born and raised in Sydney and has dedicated the past 25 years of his life to the operation and management of some of Australia's best and internationally renowned restaurants and bars.

He began his career under the guidance of Gay Bilson at the famed Berowra Waters Inn and quickly developed a passion for food, wine and exceptional customer service. This experience led to James spending the next decade working at several of Sydney and London's most esteemed restaurants including Rockpool, Claude's, Taylor's, Bistro Moncur and Bibendum for Sir Terence Conran.

After three years as the General Manager and Licensee of Sydney's iconic Grand Pacific Blue Room, James opened the first of his own ventures in 1998 – the highly acclaimed International Restaurant & Bar. Occupying the entire 14th floor of the Top of the Town Hotel, International received numerous awards for its first‐class food and beverage offering including 'Cocktail Bar of the Year' in the Sydney Morning Herald's Good Food Guide in 2001.

After the sale of the International due to the redevelopment of the building, James launched his second venture. Darlinghurst's Kirketon Dining Room & Bar opened to significant critical acclaim in 2005 rapidly becoming known for its regular high profile clientele. The Kirketon was subsequently awarded second place in the prestigious Wallpaper Magazine Design Awards for 'Best Restaurant Design' in 2006.

James currently specialises in large-scale hospitality consultancy projects for a variety of high profile clients including the Hugo's Group, Village Road Show and Keystone Hospitality.

James' in‐depth knowledge and understanding of the hospitality industry is one of his key attributes with his core skills attained through years of first-hand experience in the management and operation of successful businesses. The practical experience he has gained across all facets of the volatile hospitality industry has also given him the astute ability to offer sound advice, as well as devise and create sustainable solutions to ensure long‐term viability and success for his clients.