Ivan Pelly Created the ivan.bar Because Life is Too Short to Waste on Bad Snacks
By Dave Stolz
In 2015, Ivan Pelly realized he had had enough of grocery store snack bars. “They were all too sweet, too small, or too weird tasting, and they played havoc with my blood sugar.” And as Pelly likes to say, “Life is too short to waste on bad snacks.”
So, as an engineer by trade, Pelly decided he could do better. He began research and started work on perfecting a recipe. Ivan had three main goals during this process; his bar, “has to taste good, has to be good for you, and has to be filling.” And after many dozens of iterations, Ivan accomplished all three goals, and with it — the first ivan.bar was born.
According to Pelly, the bar is unique because, “It contains no junk, no fillers or preservatives, and it tastes amazing.” He continued, ”Every ingredient is food that you would be quite happy eating on its own. Even self-professed bar-haters describe it as the best bar they’ve ever had.”
Initially, Ivan created his bars strictly for his immediate family and himself. But after the bar found its way to friends and extended family, Ivan was inundated with the same question — “Where can I buy these?” Once Ivan realized the demand, he knew he had to put his signature bar on the market.
As an “introverted Brit,” Pelly was hesitant to include his name on the product. However, his friend and marketing guru Simon Dixon of Idea Engineering, “a highly opinionated and persuasive Brit, prevailed upon me, and so the bar got its name… The ivan.bar.” The flagship flavor was Almond Macadamia, and a year later, he released a Peanut Butter variety. “I’m happy to report that the sequel is every bit as popular as the original,” Pelly remarks. “And, at the risk of spoiling the surprise, Coconut Almond is in the works. Just please don’t tell anyone.”
Since hitting the market, the ivan.bar has won over many fans, but none more notable than one of the founders of the Balance Bar. After trying the ivan.bar for the first time, Pelly received a selfie of the former Balance Bar exec eating the ivan.bar and flashing a thumbs up.
Pelly is what you’d call a renaissance man. Besides creating bars, he’s also a software engineer, a musician, a performer, and he holds degrees from UCSB in Russian Language & Literature, as well as a degree in the Dramatic Arts.
Pelly’s versatility makes sense when you consider his parents’ history. “My dad is an electrical engineer, and my mom is, well, everything. She restores antiques, paints, plays the accordion and the piano, cooks, decorates, you name it.”
Ivan immigrated to America from England when he was a Junior in High School. “I showed up straight off the boat. I imagine I was considered a curiosity to most people. I was probably an anomaly.” Recognizing the differences between the two locations, Pelly said, “School in England was very much like as depicted in the movie Pink Floyd: The Wall, while school in the US was more like Fast Times at Ridgemont High.”
Pelly currently resides in Santa Barbara California with his wife Polly of 22 years and his two sons, Oliver and Ashton.
Ivan has a basic premise when it comes to creating bars and, heck, pretty much anything. “If you’re going to make something — make it good.” After trying his ivan.bar, I can confirm — Pelly practices what he preaches.
