Having arrived in Australia at the cusp of adulthood, Ibby first started his culinary ventures with the humble but quirky Cuckoo Callay. Although his first year with the cafe was fraught with difficulties and its fair share of obstacles, Ibby never saw giving up as an option.

Not seeing any of his mistakes as failures, and rightly so, Ibby pushed on and quickly learnt to enjoy the challenges thrown at him. After eventually finding success with the cafe, Ibby set his sights on becoming bigger and better. By bringing together a creative and talented team of individuals, Ibby has pushed on with his goals and is now the proud co-founder of ESCA, the hospitality group with six restaurants to its name, including Aalia, Nour, and Lilymu.

"There's always a solution to every problem. Find what the problem is, and overcome it."

‍