Peter Russell-Clarke

Peter Russell-Clarke is best-known as a television chef and cookbook and food author but he is equally talented as a painter and illustrator.

His interest in both food and art has been evident from a young age. He won many art awards and prizes in his school years and at 14, he was offered a job as junior artist by Australia’s leading advertising agency. Before long he set up as a freelance artist and food consultant and worked for the Federal Government in both capacities.

Now, some decades later, he has become an icon of the Australian food scene whose name is synonymous with good food and wine.

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Peter Russell-Clarke wrote, produced, directed and presented many hundreds of TV shows for the ABC, SBS, documentaries for Good Morning Australia and programme segments for The Don Lane Show, The Paul Hogan Show, The Peter Couchman Show and others.

For 27 years he was also the on-air figure for the Australian Dairy Corporation, the Australian Egg Boards, Kraft Cheese and others.  He also wrote, directed and presented commercials for the Citrus Board, Honey Board, Rice Board, Tea Council, Avocado Council and Macadamia Nut Corporation.

Peter has a friendly on-camera style, and often giggles while explaining his food preparation. This has led to much mimicry from comedians and impressionists around Australia.

Peter has been food editor for several of Australia’s major newspapers and magazines and has appeared as a guest on all the national TV and radio talk-back shows. He has presented many radio food programs and written and illustrated for all of Australia’s top magazines including Vogue.  Peter has also written or illustrated some 25 books including an Encyclopaedia of Food, as well as books for children.

At one time, Peter Russell-Clarke owned and was executive chef of Melbourne’s most prestigious restaurant.   He has also cooked by invitation for Victoria’s State Premiers, the Prime Minister, the Duke of Edinburgh and also for The Prince of Wales’ Silver Jubilee dinner in Australia.

As an artist, Peter Russell-Clarke is equally well regarded. He has exhibited as a sole artist and with various groups and has held exhibitions in London, the USA and Australia.  His work is in many private and corporate collections and galleries.   The National Immigration Museum has collected some of his works and the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra requested a self-portrait of Peter for one of its exhibitions in 2004.   He has produced major paintings for the Federal Government, one of which was reproduced on the cover of How to Learn English. Peter has recently completed Australia’s largest commercial commission.

Peter lived with an Aboriginal tribe in the Far North of Australia where he painted many of the Dreamtime stories told to him by the tribal elder, Roy Big Foot.  In 2011 Peter was preparing for a painting excursion to the Centre and Far North of Australia.

Peter was the first Creative Director for Monahan Dayman Advertising and Co-National Creative Director for DMB&B (Masius) and later owned the advertising agency, Market Australia, and Dayman Direct, a direct mail response agency. He also created Doctors’ Television Network which he sold to the Packer group.