Age: 31

State: Western Australia

Occupation: Management Consultant

Having represented Western Australia on both the basketball and volleyball court over the years, Darrsh Clarke brings a competitive spirit to the MasterChef Australia kitchen that he hopes will give him an edge.

Growing up the only child of Sri Lankan parents, Darrsh’s love of food was heavily influenced by his late father, a chef in an Indian restaurant whom Darrsh would watch in the kitchen, in awe. To this day, his Dad remains the biggest influence on how Darrsh approaches life, with passion and creativity, two traits that he will bring to the MasterChef Australia competition.

Darrsh was also inspired by his grandmother, who shared many Sri Lankan food traditions and introduced him to a love of baking as young as age six.

Though he always loved to cook, Darrsh steered away from his passion to make his parents proud, beginning an Engineering degree, before completing a Management and Marketing degree. His career since has spanned marketing and, more recently, management consultant roles.

A self-taught cook with a free-flowing style, Darrsh brings a versatility across both savoury and sweet, but he has a knack for desserts and loves the precision and technical detail they require, delighting in turning humble ingredients into works of art. He jokes that he has the biggest sweet tooth - doughnuts, cakes and ice cream are his kryptonite!

With a love of entertaining, Darrsh gets a buzz from people’s reactions when they see his food, the look when they take their first bite and the feeling he gets when they go in for more. The reward is addictive.

Looking up to luminaries like Alex Atala, Jamie Oliver, Cédric Grolet, and MasterChef Australia alum Reynold Poernomo, Darrsh loves fusion cuisine and of course, the curries of his childhood, as well as challenging himself with other cuisines.

Driven and focussed, Darrsh will have his Dad’s words to follow his dreams echoing in his ears throughout the competition, keeping his eyes on the prize, with a dream to one day have his own fusion bar and restaurant.