Passionate and highly accomplished chef Darren Parker has joined St Paul’s Collegiate School as the Assistant Catering Manager.

Designing and preparing more than 1600 meals daily for hungry teenagers is just one of the tasks in his new role. Darren thrives on creating flavoursome dishes and has a flair for vegetarian influenced dishes and plant-based products.

Initially from the United Kingdom, Darren gained his Certificate in Culinary Arts from City and Guilds during his early cooking years. After graduating, he spent six years cheffing at some of London’s top establishments, including Grosvenor House, The Dorchester and Harrods, before moving to New Zealand in 1995.

Darren has spent the last 13 years in Hamilton working as the executive sous chef at SkyCity Entertainment Group, where he led a team of 40 staff over six different restaurants.

Darren has been married to Shryalee for 24 years, and they have two daughters, Taniesha (22) and Saskia (19). In a pre-Covid world, the family loved international travel and experiencing different culinary cultures. Darren enjoys cycling, following his favourite football team Liverpool and roasting coffee beans. Staff are more than welcome to sample!