SETH JAMES
Wills Domain (Margaret River,
Western Australia)
To hear Seth James talk about the corner of south-
west WA he’s settled in, you might find yourself
questioning your own life choices. Swims in secluded
rockpools along the rugged Yallingup coastline and
afternoons spent diving or on the pier catching squid.
No wonder the chef has happily spent five years
in the area after doing time at Botanical, Cutler & Co
and the Aylesbury in Melbourne. Not that James
is quite a local just yet. “I’ve been told it takes
10 years to be part of the community,” he says.
It wasn’t a natural fit in the beginning. Arriving in
Dunsborough on a Friday night, the then 27-year-old
got a rude shock when he wandered into town after
8pm to look for somewhere to eat and perhaps buy
a bottle of wine. It was to no avail. “I went back to the
house to call friends and I had no reception. I was
like, ‘This is a nightmare’.” Fast-forward to today and
he’s embraced the slower pace of life, rising early,
spending more time outdoors and enjoying a job
without double shifts. And he never goes for a
walk without a stick in hand to scare off snakes.
“It’s the first thing you do: you make sure you’ve
got something to make some noise with.”66 GOURMET TRAVELLER