Hardly in need of introduction, Darren Purchese is a pastry chef with 30 years of experience and one of the most sought-after, creative and respected chefs working in Australia today. An author with five cookbooks to his name, Darren is a familiar face to MasterChef Australia viewers, having graced the kitchen many times over, most often with delectable and devilish dishes in the form of uber-challenging pressure tests.  

With credits in five-star hotel kitchens across England and France to his name, British-born Darren came to Australia in 2004 for a food event and after meeting his future wife, Melbourne chef and restaurateur Cath Claringbold, he made the move permanent. 

Darren worked as Executive Pastry Chef at some of Australia’s most iconic restaurants, Melbourne’s Vue de monde and Sydney’s Bennelong amongst them.  

In 2011 Darren and Cath opened Burch And Purchese Sweet Studio, which became a Melbourne institution of some 12 years standing.  A wonderland of cakes and decadent desserts, the store was a much-loved pillar of Melbourne’s pastry scene and provided a training ground for many up-and-coming pastry chefs over the years.  

In 2023, Darren and Cath launched a brand-new business, Studio Kitchen, an online recipe and food news platform where Darren shares the tips, skills and secrets he has amassed across three decades in the industry.  

As a judge on The Great Australian Bake Off, Darren loves to nurture and mentor new talent but is equally excited to get his apron back on to mix it with some of the nation’s most talented and creative dessert makers in the country for the Dessert Masters showdown.  

Renowned for his extravagant creations featuring countless components, Darren’s strength is in balancing flavours and textures, while blending his classical training and innovation to create unforgettable showstoppers.  

During the competition, Darren aims to flex his creative freedom to create some exquisite dishes worthy of serving to one of the world’s most revered pastry chefs in judge Amaury Guichon.