Merrilees Parker

Best known for her TV work over the last few years, Merrilees has been contributing to Good Food since 2002

Merrilees has been cooking ever since she was a little girl and her Grandma helped her in the kitchen. She has come a long way since then and is now a regular face on cookery programmes on TV and in magazines.

Her professional TV career started when she became a researcher on BBC's Ready Steady Cook and she was soon snapped up by Antony Worrall Thompson to work for his catering company Wiz Events at functions including London Fashion week and the Motor Show.

She moved on from here to work at renowned private members club The Lansdowne in London where she honed her skills of no-nonsense cooking.

In 1999 Merrilees appeared with Brian Turner in BBC 2 series Anything You Can Cook, a 27-part series that made her a recognisable face on TV. She has also done several shows for UKTV Food where she has had the opportunity to travel to different cultures, something she has thoroughly enjoyed.

Off screen

Merrilees is working hard even when she's not in the studio. Alongside fellow Worrall Thompson protégée Bernadette Fitzpatrick, she runs a catering company based in London called Pink. This caters for every type of event from Polo Club lunches to children's birthday parties and gives Merrilees the perfect outlet for all of her skills.

With her natural flair for presenting and passion for food Merrilees is definitely someone to look out for.