Darren Purchese

Darren Purchese is one of the most sought after, creative and respected chefs working in Australia today, he is renowned for his exquisite and extravagant sweet & savoury creations. He worked as executive pastry chef at some of the best Australian restaurants, Vue de monde in Melbourne and Bennelong at the Sydney Opera House among them. He has consulted to many of Melbourne’s favourite restaurants and worked alongside many world class chefs before, in 2011 he and wife Cath Claringbold opened the now iconic Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio which ran until April 2023. At Burch & Purchese, Darren further cemented his reputation as a chef who skillfully balances flavour, texture, and presentation. He paired these skills with modern techniques and traditional methods, to produce revolutionary dessert concepts. His sweet centrepieces have been in demand at some of our most prestigious events, The Australian F1 Grand Prix, The Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, NGV Gala and Logies have all enjoyed Darren’s show-stopping cakes and desserts. Darren has presented his sweet vision at food festivals and symposiums in this country and across the globe. His customers, fans and clients all have one thing in common: they’re hooked on his unique and delicious list of creations as well as his charm and hospitality. Darren has an equally successful career in food media, including becoming a regular fixture on global smash Masterchef Australia, means that Darren is in constant demand. He has hundreds of hours of TV experience and hosted countless cooking segments across all major Australian TV networks. In 2022 Darren was announced as the next co-judge on the popular FOXTEL Original show The Great Australian Bake Off working alongside Rachel Khoo, Cal Wilson & Natalie Tran. Darren is an accomplished food writer having contributed to major food publications all over the world and he is the author of five cookbooks; Sweet Studio - The Art of Divine Desserts, Lamingtons & Lemon Tart, Chefs Eat Toasties Too, Chefs Host Christmas Too and Chefs Eat Breakfast Too. His work has been published all over the world and translated into many languages. Darren & Cath launched Studio Kitchen, a food and recipe platform late 2023 and are working hard to make it the number one online stop for all food lovers.