Merrilees Parker

Merrilees is a chef, food writer and television presenter who developed her no-nonsense cooking style as a chalet girl in France, then as a chef at several London restaurants, including the capital’s first gastropub.

Her first taste of television was as a food researcher for the BBC and Channel 4. This led to a stint co-presenting BBC Two's Anything You Can Cook with Brian Turner. Later, Merrilees became the resident cook on Housecall.

Merrilees continues to write for magazines including BBC Good Food, and runs her own catering company.