A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject.(August 2019) |
Darren Purchese | |
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Born | Guildford, Surrey, England, UK | 3 February 1975
Nationality | Australian |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1995–present |
Notable work | Sweet Studio – The Art of Divine Desserts, Lamingtons & Lemon Tart, Chefs Eat Toasties Too, Chefs Host Christmas Too, Chefs Eat Breakfast Too |
Television | The Great Australian Bake Off |
Spouse | Cath Claringbold |
Website | www |
Darren Purchese (born 3 February 1975) is an Australian[ citation needed ] chef, author and television personality. He is the creator of the popular cake and dessert business, Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio, in Melbourne, Australia. Purchese is a regular guest chef on Network 10's MasterChef Australia . He is a judge on The Great Australian Bake Off 2023 season. [1]
In 1997, Purchese joined the pastry department at the Savoy Hotel and worked under pastry chef William Curley in the main pastry department, the bakery and in the River Restaurant. He worked his way to the position of senior pastry chef before moving to the Goring Hotel in 2000 as head pastry chef. In 2002, he moved to Raffles Brown's Hotel in Mayfair as pastry chef of '1837' restaurant where he stayed until 2003. He then moved to the Bentley Hotel in Knightsbridge as executive pastry chef. It was during his time at the Bentley Hotel that he received an Acorn Award from the magazine Caterer and Hotelkeeper [2] awarded to the most promising persons under the age of 30 in the UK hospitality industry.
In 2004 while working in London, Purchese was invited to present as a guest chef at The Brisbane Masterclass Weekend in Queensland, Australia. It was here that Purchese met his future wife Cath Claringbold, a Melbourne chef and restaurateur. Purchese returned to Australia, this time to Melbourne, in 2005 and began working for Shannon Bennett at his Vue de Monde restaurant as head pastry chef. During Purchese's time at Vue de Monde, the restaurant received '3 Chef's Hats' in The Age Good Food Guide and Best Restaurant in the Gourmet Traveller Magazine. Purchese also oversaw the pastry department in the newly opened Cafe Vue [3] and Bistro Vue businesses. [4]
Since being in Australia Purchese has also worked as pastry chef for Gary Mehigan at his then restaurant Fenix, [5] as pastry chef at Bennelong Restaurant situated in the iconic Sydney Opera House. [6] Purchese has also acted as chef consultant to many high end restaurants and food businesses.
Purchese regularly appears as a guest chef at many Australian food events and festivals, he has presented two Masterclasses at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in 2010 and 2012. [7] Purchese presented a Masterclass at the World Chef Showcase at the 2012 Crave Sydney food festival alongside illustrious chefs such as Antonio Carluccio, Jordi Roca, Christina Tosi, Massimo Bottura and Jason Atherton. [8]
In April 2011 Purchese opened Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio on Melbourne's shopping, dining and entertainment precinct Chapel Street. Sweet Studio was primarily a retail space producing cakes and desserts of various flavours and sizes. It was owned and operated by Purchese and his wife Cath Claringbold and ran for 12 years before closing the doors in April 2023. [9]
During the course of the business, B&P made and installed desserts for events in Melbourne including The Birdcage at the Spring Racing Carnival, the Australian Grand Prix, the Logie Awards, National Gallery of Victoria ball and much more.[ citation needed ]
The business was regularly featured in television appearances including a special Neighbours episode,[ citation needed ].
B&P featured in the 'Best Cake Shops' section in local and international travel guides. [10]
Purchese regularly appears on Australian television most notably on Foxtel's 'The Great Australian Bake Off' and Network 10's MasterChef Australia [11] where he has regularly appeared as a guest chef and judge. Purchese has also appeared in episodes of MasterChef Australia All-Stars and Junior Masterchef.
Purchese was also a regular chef presenter on Network 10's The Circle and Scope. He has appeared on numerous travel and lifestyle programs on SBS, Nine Network [12] Seven and the ABC. [13] Purchese also appeared in a cameo role in the television series Neighbours in 2015. and again in 2018. [14] In August 2022, Purchese was named as a new judge for the seventh season of the television baking series The Great Australian Bake Off . [1] The season premiered in Australia in June 2023.
In May 2024, Network 10 announced that Purchese was set to appear as a contestant on the forthcoming second season of Dessert Masters . [15]
Purchese has written five cook books:
Chefs Eat Toasties Too has been translated and distributed internationally under the following publishers:
Purchese has contributed recipes to a number of cook books as a guest contributor, some of the books include:
Purchese is an ambassador for the AFL Club Sydney Swans.
Purchese is actively involved in charity work and is an ambassador for the Cancer Council Australia and My Room Children's Cancer Charity. [16]
In April 2023 Purchese was announced as brand ambassador for the Victorian-based business and cheese producer That's Amore Cheese. [17]
In 2012 Purchese collaborated with Connoisseur, an Australian ice cream producer, to design a new flavour to promote their "Uniquely Australian" range. Murray River Salted Caramel Swirl with Chocolate Coated Toasted Hazelnuts was offered on the Australian market in 2012/2013. [18]
Dessert is a course that concludes a meal. The course consists of sweet foods, such as cake, biscuit, ice cream and possibly a beverage such as dessert wine and liqueur. Some cultures sweeten foods that are more commonly savory to create desserts. In some parts of the world there is no tradition of a dessert course to conclude a meal.
Baking is a method of preparing food that uses dry heat, typically in an oven, but can also be done in hot ashes, or on hot stones. The most common baked item is bread, but many other types of foods can be baked. Heat is gradually transferred "from the surface of cakes, cookies, and pieces of bread to their center, typically conducted at elevated temperatures surpassing 300°F. Dry heat cooking imparts a distinctive richness to foods through the processes of caramelization and surface browning. As heat travels through, it transforms batters and doughs into baked goods and more with a firm dry crust and a softer center. Baking can be combined with grilling to produce a hybrid barbecue variant by using both methods simultaneously, or one after the other. Baking is related to barbecuing because the concept of the masonry oven is similar to that of a smoke pit.
Pastry refers to a variety of doughs, as well as the sweet and savoury baked goods made from them. These goods are often called pastries as a synecdoche, and the dough may be accordingly called pastry dough for clarity. Sweetened pastries are often described as bakers' confectionery. Common pastry dishes include pies, tarts, quiches, croissants, and pasties.
Cheesecake is a dessert made with a soft fresh cheese, eggs, and sugar. It may have a crust or base made from crushed cookies, graham crackers, pastry, or sometimes sponge cake. Cheesecake may be baked or unbaked, and is usually refrigerated.
A pastry chef or pâtissier is a station chef in a professional kitchen, skilled in the making of pastries, desserts, breads and other baked goods. They are employed in large hotels, bistros, restaurants, bakeries, by caterers, and some cafés.
Rugelach is a filled baked confection originating in the Jewish communities of Poland. It is also a popular treat among Jews in the diaspora.
Bougatsa is a Greek breakfast food, or mid-morning snack, or midday snack. Bougatsa has several versions with their own filling, with the most popular the bougatsa krema that has semolina custard filling used as a sweet food and dessert.
Nancy Silverton is an American chef, baker, restaurateur, and author. The winner of the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Chef Award in 2014, Silverton is recognized for her role in popularizing sourdough and artisan breads in the United States.
Rachel Khoo is a British cook, author, and broadcaster who has hosted and co-hosted television cooking shows on the BBC, Food Network, and Netflix.
Adriano Zumbo is an Australian pâtissier and television presenter. He opened his first patisserie in 2007 before rising to prominence as a frequent guest on MasterChef Australia. Zumbo is the titular host of the Australian baking competition program Zumbo's Just Desserts and a judge on the Netflix web series Sugar Rush. As a popular figure he has garnered many nicknames in the media, including "Sweet Assassin", "Patissier of Pain," "the Dark Lord of the Pastry Kitchen" and "Lord Voldecake." He has also been called "Australia's answer to Willy Wonka."
Shannon Bennett is an Australian chef and author. He is best known as the head chef of restaurant Vue de Monde at Melbourne's Rialto Tower. Bennett currently serves as the creative director at the restaurant and its parent company Vue Groups, having previously been the executive chef. He has made many appearances as a guest judge on the popular cooking show MasterChef Australia.
David Guas is a chef, TV personality, restaurateur and cookbook author from New Orleans, Louisiana.
Johnny Iuzzini /u-zee-nee/ is a New York City-based American pastry chef, television celebrity, and cookbook author. He served as executive pastry chef at Daniel from 2001 through 2002 and at Jean Georges from 2002 through 2011. Iuzzini is the author of two cookbooks and was a judge on the first three seasons of The Great American Baking Show. On November 29, 2017, Iuzzini was accused of sexual harassment by four former employees and the third season of The Great American Baking Show was pulled after one episode.
Janice Wong is a Singaporean artist, chocolatier, chef, and entrepreneur. In addition to restaurants, dessert bars, and retail ventures, she is known for her edible art installations. She has won multiple awards, including being named "Asia’s Best Pastry Chef" two years in a row by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants award sponsored by S.Pellegrino. Her single-origin, bean-to-bar chocolate brand, Janice Wong Pure Imagination, has retail outlets and production facilities in Singapore.
A pasticciotto is a type of filled Italian pastry. Depending on the region, they are traditionally filled with either ricotta cheese or egg custard.
Carine Goren is an Israeli pastry chef, bestselling cookbook author, and television personality. She began her culinary career at age 26 as a recipe writer and editor at the Israeli food magazine Al Hashulchan, and in 2006 published her first dessert cookbook, Sweet Secrets. As of 2016 she has published five cookbooks, including one for children, and is the host of her own television baking show, also called Sweet Secrets. In 2016, she became a judge on the new Israeli reality television show Bake-Off Israel. She was the most googled person in Israel in 2015.
Kirsten Tibballs is an Australian pastry chef and chocolatier. Tibballs has represented Australia at world championships and as a judge for global competitions. In 2002 Tibballs founded Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School in Brunswick, Melbourne. Tibballs is the author of two cookbooks, a regular contributor to pastry publications and has featured on several television shows including MasterChef Australia. As one of the most followed female pastry chefs on Instagram, Tibballs is regularly referred to as the ‘Queen of Chocolate’ due to her contribution to the chocolate industry.