Who is Great British Menu 2020 chef Ivan Tisdall-Downes?

Ivan Tisdall-Downes is the co-founder and head chef of Native in London

Unlike a lot of chefs - who either start off as a kitchen porter, or those who go through catering college, Ivan is entirely self-taught.

Although he grew up in London, it was as a student at the University of Brighton (where he met his partner and Native co-founder, Imogen Davis) that he discovered hedgerows and cooking with foraged ingredients.

While Ivan's passion for cooking with wild ingredients grew, he found inspiration in TV, cookbooks and YouTube videos, cooking at home as much as he could. From then on, the couple began exploring how to find and cook unique ingredients, selling preserves in the world of street food during their studies.

Before opening Native in 2016, he secured a stage at River Cottage, where he sharpened his knowledge of seasonal cookery and learnt to treat produce as the first priority in his food.

Cooking style

As well as showcasing the UK's wild meats and foraged ingredients, Ivan and Imogen source sustainably farmed ingredients with a low-waste approach to how they manage the kitchen.

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