Mercure Gold Coast Resort has appointed Darren Clements to the role of Executive Chef, overseeing the iconic Palm Meadows properties recently relaunched restaurant and bar, in-room dining, and extensive conference and events catering services.
The resort’s General Manage Jamie O’Donnell said, “We are delighted to welcome Darren to the team, and he heralds a new era of great dining for this resort. He brings 20 years of cooking experience to this role, perfected both here in Australia and overseas, and his sophisticated yet accessible cuisine style will certainly complement the refined new surrounds of Mercure’s restaurant and dining space which was completely renovated at the end of last year.”
A local Brisbane boy, Darren commenced his career in the kitchens of some of Australia’s best Australia’s most popular restaurants and hotels, including the Sheraton Brisbane, Melbourne’s Oberoi Windsor Hotel, and the Sofitel Melbourne On Collins .
Most notably, Darren has worked extensively in Arabia, involved in the pre-opening of the 867-room Madinat Jumeirah Arabian Resort in Dubai with its 45 restaurant and bars. He was also Executive Chef for the pre-opening of the W Doha Hotel in Qatar, which boasts 445 rooms and restaurants by Michelin star chef Jean Georges Vongrichten.
Describing his food style as eclectic, Darren uses his classic French training and love of Asian and Arabic flavours from his many culinary journeys around the globe to inspire his restaurant menus.
At the Mercure Gold Coast Resort, he says he is looking forward to creating an al a carte menu featuring local produce from the Gold Coast, Tweed Coast and South East Queensland, incorporating indigenous recipes into the resort’s regular restaurant and bar menus.
