James Drawbridge has a net worth of $600,000 as a Cornish chef. James’s primary source of income is his career as a chef.
Drawbridge is making his debut on Channel 4 hit series Escape to The Chateau. The chef is the eldest son of the chateau owner, Dick Strawbridge.
The reality television series Escape to The Chateau follows Lt. Col. Dick Strawbridge and partner Angel Adoree, restoring the former glory of their 19th-century French Chateau, which they got after trading their two-bedroom apartment in Essex.
While Dick’s younger children, Arthur and Dorothy, make regular appearances on the show, Dick’s 38-year-old son James is finally appearing in the ninth season.
The chef runs his own BBC show and has been making a decent living, but what is his estimated net worth? Let’s find out.
James Strawbridge and His Family’s Estimated Net Worth
James Strawbridge’s net worth is estimated to be $600,000. Drawbridge fame, James is making a fortune working as a chef.
His latest ventures in various TV shows are ringing more wealth for him.
James lives with his wife and three children in South Cornish Street and holds passions beyond the kitchen. The award-winning chef is also a sustainable living expert and a published author.
He loves foraging for food with his beautiful family when he’s not a chef. He also loves rowing in the sea for his local club or painting the Cornish countryside.
His multiple business affiliations have made the chef quite rich. At the same time, his family is raking in the money from their reality show Escape to The Chateau.
James’ father, Dick Strawbrige, and stepmother, Angela, have been part of Escape to The Chateau since 2016, living and transforming their French chateau.
Before landing on the reality show, Dick served in the British Army. He climbed ranks after joining the Royal Corps of Signals and was promoted to Lieutenant and Captain in the eighties.
Later, the Captain was made MBE in 1993 for his distinguished service and left the army in 2001. However, his engineering and environmental knowledge and expertise were handy for the TV shows he did later.
Dick has appeared in Scrapheap Challenge; It’s Not Easy Being Green and Coast. At the same time, his partner Angela made her TV debut in BBC’s Dragon’s Den in 2010 with her idea for the hospitality business, The Vintage Patisserie.
Now they both appear in Escape to The Chateau. The couple, at £280,000, bought the 19th Century Château de la Motte-Husson. But after all the renovation and transformation, it is valued at approximately £2 million.
We can estimate the couple’s net worth to be in six digits, with their home alone at 2 million pounds. At the same time, James’ net worth is slightly less than his parent’s. But James appearing on the show this season might change that.
Ways James Strawbridge Makes His Money
1. Chef at Strawbridge Kitchen
Executive chef James Strawbridge is the owner of Strawbridge Kitchen, known for food photography and recipe development. He works for several food and drinks brands from his garden studio and development kitchen.
He prefers collaborating with clients who provide quality services, such as Cornish Sea Salt, Real Olive Co, Beacon Foods, ProQ BBQ, Samworth Brothers, Davidstow Cheddar, Truffle Hunter, Ocean Fish, and Home Pizza Ovens.
James looks after the business side of the work as well. He handles Business Development, Marketing & PR strategy, and lead generation for his clients.
Since Networking is also an essential aspect of the business, he emphasizes creating a bond with other chefs in food service, food manufacturing, and retailer innovation teams.
2. Publishing Cookbooks
James creates new recipes and puts his knowledge and expertise for other people to try out. He is a food writer and an author working with several publishers and food articles.
He reportedly has ten internationally published cookbooks on artisan crafts, preserving food, and traditional skills. Since the author is an environmentalist, his books also emphasize sustainable living and cooking.
Salt and the Art of Seasoning, The Complete Vegetable Cookbook, Zero-Waste Vegetable Cookery, The Artisan Kitchen, and Practical Self Sufficiency: The Complete Guide to Sustainable Living are some books written by the author.
3. BBC’s Strawbridge Over Drawbridge
Chef James started his food program, Strawbridge Over Drawbridge, in 2022. The TV series premiered on BBC1 earlier this year in September.
The show follows James traveling the country and visiting magnificent houses and estates. He learned about the history of the home he visited and prepared meals to reflect the places’ heritage.
For the series, James went to Ballywalter Park, where he was the guest of Lord and Lady Dunleath, Crom Castle. He got the chance to meet Lord and Lady Erne and Greyabbey House, the home of Bill and Daphne Montgomery, at the same time.
In an Interview with Newsletter, the chef said, “I think these properties are designed in such a way as to make you go wow. You see them from the road, and they look good, but it’s not until you come round the corner, and it’s just wow.”
4. TV Shows
The BBC Series is one of many Tv shows James Strawbridge has done this year. He also appeared alongside his father, Dick Strawbridge, in Channel 4 series Escape to The Chateau.
The chef had taken time out from his busy schedule to spend time with his father, stepmother, Angela, and his young step-siblings at their Chateau in France.
The chef, visiting estates in Northern Ireland, couldn’t help but draw the similarities between those estates and the house his family has been residing at.
He said, “The first thing they’ve got in common is they work hard with people who run the house,” according to Express UK, comparing the chateau with the homes he visited on the BBC show.
James couldn’t be more proud of his father and stepmother, who have multiplied the property value since they first bought it. The family was quite emotional when James had to return from the estate to his own life.
Previously, the father and son duo had appeared on the ITV show, The Hungry Sailors, embarking on various culinary journeys and discovering the unique traditions and gastronomic delights of different places along the way.
5. Family Inheritance
James is bound to inherit his family’s wealth and fortunes at some point. His father, Dick Strawbridge, has an estimated net worth valued at millions.
Not to forget, their glorious Chateau is now reportedly worth two million pounds. With Dick and Angela carrying out further transformations around the property, the market value is expected to rise.
However, he might have to share the inheritance with his step-siblings Dorothy and Anthony, who are his father Dick’s and stepmother Angela’s children. At the same time, James’ interest in inheriting his family’s wealth is still unknown.
He possibly could continue his father’s legacy later in the future, tending after the Chateau along with his siblings.
Will James Strawbridge Inherit The Chateau in France?
After appearing on Escape to The Chateau, James has revealed the future of his family home. Busy with his life as a chef, James has not shown much interest in claiming the rights to his parent’s property.
When Escape to The Chateau was back on Channel 4 after two years break from Covid, the audiences were left disappointed as it was going to be the last chapter. Since then, the property’s future became the talk of the town.
According to Daily Record’s report, James announced that his half-siblings are the ones to inherit his parents’ Escape to The Chateau home. His half-siblings Arthur, nine, and Dorothy, eight, have been living on the estate with their parents.
While talking with Express.co.uk, James said, “Arthur and Dorothy’s great-grandchildren – in many years’ time and like one of the next generations – will probably have a bit more of a chilled-out vibe,”
James and his sister Charlotte was born from Dick Strawbridge’s first marriage with Brigit Strawbridge Howard. His father later had two children with Angela a married in 2015. His sister, Charlotte, is a 32-year-old painter and musician.