Merrilees Claire Parker (born 11 August 1971) is a British celebrity chef and television presenter.
Parker is also renowned for the menu she presented working for the pub The Lansdowne in Primrose Hill in London.
Parker became a familiar face as a television chef in 1999 on a long-running BBC series Anything You Can Cook, which she presented together with Brian Turner.
The publicity for the show stated: "Chef Merrilees Parker admits to liking fur, but can she kill it, skin it and still wear it?
At the age of 17, Parker worked as a chalet girl[clarification needed] in France, where she impressed the chef.
She does not believe eating from street restaurants is risky, stating, "if something is cooked in front of you in a hot wok it's less likely to give you food poisoning than something that has been sitting on a lukewarm buffet.
"[2] She emphasises the need to adapt to the target audience, mentioning that for a children's birthday party, she creates food that is visually interesting and fun to eat, rather than being geared towards adult palates.
[citation needed] Her company Pink promotes as one of its distinguishing features its range, going from posh clubs via corporate events to children's parties.