Inheriting his initial love of food from his two grandmothers who were exceptional cooks, Ivan spent the majority of his childhood in a kitchen. Now as Executive Head Chef of Bacchanalia, he enjoys the freedom and ownership over a menu that is an eclectic mix of plates, inspired by childhood memories, a multicultural upbringing and rich culinary experiences. He reinvents classic dishes, with flavours that are recognisable yet paired and prepared in ways that diners may not have experienced before.
 
From Thomas Keller’s Per Se, in NYC, to Mugaritz in Basque Country,  and several traditional osterias in Piemonte Italy, Ivan Brehm’s aspirations have taken him on revelatory gastronomic travels. Each stop on this journey has offered him opportunities to learn from some of the world’s best chefs, resulting in both the development of his own personality as a chef and the formation of a great culinary repertoire.
 
In 2006, Ivan moved to London and worked under Claude Bosi at Hibiscus in London before training with 2013 Observer Food Monthly’s ‘Chef of the Decade’, Heston Blumenthal at The Fat Duck in 2008. For four years, Ivan thrived amidst the camaraderie of his peers and worked his way up to development chef of Heston’s Experimental Kitchen. At The Fat Duck, dishes were conceptualised with scientific precision, based on painstaking research and substantial empirical data. Collaborating with designers, food historians, scientists and musicians, food could suddenly be perfected, not just by tasting in isolation, but for the holistic, multi modal experience that it is.
 
Where many kitchens are often ruled by fear, Ivan chooses to lead his staff by mentoring and training them in an environment of mutual respect and collaboration.