Jamie Lloyd was born in Newport Beach with a passionate understanding of the bounty he was surrounded by. Working in a kitchen with fresh seafood hitting the back door daily and the smell of Prime Rib in the oven, his path was pretty clear. In 1994 decided to apply to the CIA in Hyde Park, NY to follow his dream of becoming a Chef. Hours after graduation in 1997, like many nomadic, aspiring Chefs, he hit the road and headed to the beautiful state of California.

San Francisco was the first stop, working with Michael Mina at Aqua. Then traveled to Portland, Or to open a new restaurant with the Paragon Group, where he then met Roy Breiman, formerly of Meadowood and repositioned himself as the Chef de Partie at another new concept in finer dining. The weather in Portland was a bit dark and drab, so the next move was to Napa Valley to work with the Thomas Keller Group. After a couple years, Richard Reddington recruited him to Auberge du Soleil to further his knowledge of the Valley at the Michelin Star Resort.

As Jamie’s family grew, he became the Buyer for a local, wholesale meat company. In his free time, he established his own catering company, Graze Local Catering and met some local Chefs along the way. Once the opportunity presented itself, Jamie transitioned from catering being a hobby, to a fully functioning, locally sourced catering outfit.  He was recognized as “Best Caterer in the North Bay” by The Bohemian 2023 and was awarded 3 silver medals at the 2023 Sonoma County Harvest Fair being recognized for “The Best use of Fruits and Vegetables”. Graze Local continues to grow providing the highest quality of ingredients, top-notch service and professionalism.

“Thanks to a passionate group of service driven Chefs and the like, our future has never been so bright.  Without this team, this dream would have never become a reality. Thank You All from the bottom of my heart…Keep Your Friends Close and Your Food Closer…”   ~Chef Jamie Lloyd