Ivan I.

Ivan has spent more than two decades working in hospitality and customer-facing businesses.

A significant part of his career was spent with Dishoom, where he worked for approximately 10 years across several roles, including Head Bartender and Supervisor.

That experience gave him first-hand knowledge of restaurant operations, customer service, team management, food and drink service, busy-period operations and the importance of delivering a consistent experience across every stage of a customer's visit.

His later experience in casino management broadened that operational perspective further, particularly in relation to venue management, customer care, staff coordination and service within high-footfall environments.

Ivan also brings an independent business perspective through his involvement with Muave, a UK loose leaf tea brand.

Hospitality businesses are difficult to assess from ratings alone.

A strong venue is usually the result of many factors working together: consistent service, knowledgeable staff, sound operations, a clear concept, good food and drink, effective management and the ability to maintain standards during both quiet and busy periods.

Ivan's background allows him to consider businesses from both a customer's perspective and an operational one. His experience across restaurant service, bar operations, supervision and venue management helps provide additional context when assessing how a hospitality business operates and what differentiates it within its market.

This industry perspective is used alongside wider editorial research rather than as a substitute for it.

Ivan contributes to Best in Britain's hospitality, food and drink, and local culture coverage. His work includes supporting the research, assessment and ongoing maintenance of editorial guides covering businesses throughout the United Kingdom.

His professional background is particularly relevant when evaluating businesses where service, hospitality standards, drinks, venue operations and the overall customer experience play an important part in the recommendation.

Best in Britain guides may draw on a combination of editorial research, publicly available information, business information, customer feedback, first-hand knowledge and specialist contributor expertise.

Where Ivan contributes to a guide, his author profile is linked so readers can understand the professional experience behind the editorial coverage.

Ivan spent approximately 10 years working with Dishoom, one of the UK's best-known restaurant groups. During that time, he held a number of positions, including Head Bartender and Supervisor.

His responsibilities gave him practical experience across drinks service, front-of-house operations, customer experience, staff supervision and the operational demands of a busy restaurant environment.

This long-term experience within a recognised hospitality group forms an important part of the expertise he brings to Best in Britain's restaurant, bar and hospitality coverage.

Ivan has also worked in casino management. Although a different sector from restaurants and cafes, the role involved many of the same core hospitality disciplines, including customer service, venue operations, staff coordination and maintaining service standards within a busy customer-facing environment.

This experience contributes to his broader understanding of how venues are managed and how service quality is maintained at an operational level.

Ivan is a co-owner of Muave, a UK loose leaf tea brand.

His involvement with the business gives him direct experience of the food and drink sector from a commercial and product perspective, including consumer expectations, product quality, branding and the challenges involved in developing an independent beverage brand.

This adds another dimension to his hospitality background, particularly when contributing to coverage involving tea, cafes, coffee shops, drinks businesses and independent food and beverage brands.

Best in Britain identifies contributors on individual guides so readers can see who has contributed to the research and editorial process.

Author pages provide additional information about each contributor's professional background, subject expertise and areas of coverage.

Commercial relationships do not determine editorial inclusion or rankings. Where commercial placements appear within Best in Britain content, they are identified separately from the editorial assessment.