Merivale has welcomed David O’Brien as head chef of ivy’s functions department.
With a stellar history including tenures at some of Australia’s top catering companies, O’Brien recently also scored high praise as head chef of the luxury club especially created for LOGOC (London Olympic Committee) held throughout the duration of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.
David O’Brien, head chef of ivy’s functions
O’Brien created a menu which incorporated a contemporary spin on some classic British dishes and, in a nod to its colonial history, balanced this with both classic and contemporary Indian food selections. With a team of over 35 chefs, and with a specific brief for all dishes to be cooked ‘to order’, with everything handmade, this was indeed a pressure cooker job, and one which O’Brien attests has steeled him for any future catering challenges.
O’Brien was also contracted head chef at Sydney’s boutique caterer, John & Peter, responsible for some of the most high profile events for both a discerning corporate and private clientele.
In 2007 he embraced another special project in the role of head chef for Zing Catering, who took on the task of food service for the Spielberg/Hanks film production of ‘The Pacific’, and where he directed a team of 80 in the daily challenge of feeding a production team of over 600, where an ever changing menu of high quality and innovation established something of a new benchmark in the industry.
Further extending his Olympic credentials, for the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino, O’Brien was once again contracted as Consultant Head Chef in the IOC’s hospitality suite where over 600 guests were lavishly wined and dined each day and evening, in addition to the hosting of four tailored events specially created for NBC News. the international broadcaster of the games.
Also noteworthy was yet another Olympic project, this time as part of the Athens Games in 2004 where O’Brien took up the position of senior sous-chef for a series of four major events under the ‘Sports Illustrated’ banner. Catering for up to 3000 guests at each, sophisticated themeing became the focal point, and later the feature by which they became some of the most talked about parties of the games themselves, attracting the world’s top athletes and power brokers.
“David’s reputation and proven track record in creating and delivering stylish food under intense pressure is well known, and we are thrilled to have him head up ivy’s functions department”, said Merivale CEO, Justin Hemmes.
“Particularly pleasing is his particular attention to detail, which means that from intimate scaled event, to one for multiple hundred guests, he delivers impeccably,” Hemmes added.
The Merivale functions department incorporates the chief venues of ivy Ballroom (with a capacity of up to 1200 guests) and a number of smaller venues including the recently opened ivy Penthouse, which provides one of Sydney’s more glamorous settings for smaller gatherings of up to 80 guests.
For information regarding events at Merivale, please contact the functions department on 02 9240 3000 or click here.
