He is known for his appearances as a judge in numerous television food series and for his reviews of restaurant meals around the UK and overseas for GQ, Esquire, and The Mail on Sunday.

He grew up in Wiltshire at Bolehyde Manor in Allington, near Chippenham, and later at Middlewick House, near Corsham.

Parker Bowles states that immediately after leaving school, he fell in love with food writing, and cites his mother's cooking skills and recipes as his inspiration.

[10][11][12][13] From 1997 until 2000, Parker Bowles was a junior publicist for Dennis Davidson Associates, a public relations firm.

[26] His next, The Year of Eating Dangerously: A Global Adventure in Search of Culinary Extremes, was published by Ebury in 2007.

[34] His seventh book, Fortnum and Mason – Christmas and Other Winter Feasts (4th Estate) was released in October 2018.

[35] Cooking and the Crown: Royal Recipes from Queen Victoria to King Charles III was released in October 2024.

[37] Following good reviews and successful sales of the snack,[38][39][40] they launched a beer brand in 2013 named Mr Trotter's Chestnut Ale, which was produced in partnership with The Lancaster Brewing Company and is considered to be the first chestnut beer made in the UK.

[49] On 6 May 2023, his son Freddy Parker Bowles was one of the Pages of Honour to Queen Camilla at her coronation.