Private Chef Ian Ballantyne

WHATS ON OFFER

From family style feasts, to pizza oven nights, fire cooked banquets, fine dining or canapé parties. I love working with clients to produce a personalised and remarkable food experience. I also offers cookery and food experience with plenty of areas to choose from such as sourdough, foraging, fermenting or just good ol cooking!

BACKGROUND

23+ years of experience in the food and drink industry, I absolutely love it! Described as a rational optimist with bags of energy! I have previously run my own restaurant, worked in family hotel, supported many others open ventures, founded and directed an award winning experiential events company in London and have just completed an 8year run as the F&B catering contractor for a central London venue. During lockdown I also started growing a more intimate events and cookery enterprise in Stroud. I also teach locally with the NHS, helping people with type 2 diabetes learn how to change their diet, improve their lives through food and hopefully reverse the condition.

Determined, infectiously happy and a firm believer that the sky is the limit.

Moved to Stroud to settle down, grow veg, connect to the land and people, The Family Meal- focus on teaching, feeding people, community events utilising plant led menus and local animal products.

For me, cooking is...

what helps bring us together in times of both joy and sadness, it nourishes and nurtures us, it makes us smile and feel alive.

I learned to cook at...

restaurants in London and Melbourne, working with some brilliant and creative chefs who were incredibly inspiring & taught me how to connect to food

A cooking secret...

Layering flavours & textures, proper use of salt and acid, thinking about the journey of eating a dish, every mouthful, how does a guest experience it