Animal lover and world-renowned pastry chef, Darren Purchese, has joined RSPCA Victoria as the newest ambassador passionate about the care and protection of animals.
A long-time supporter of RSPCA's work to prevent cruelty to animals, Darren will work with the organisation across various programs and campaigns - helping to educate the community regarding animal welfare, as well as promoting fundraising campaigns and other ways to get involved.
Owner and head-chef at Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio in South Yarra, Darren said he is proud to be working alongside RSPCA Victoria, particularly when it comes to encouraging humane food choices.
"At Burch & Purchese, we are best known for our desserts and cakes, which means we go through a lot of eggs! We make the choice to use cage-free eggs and encourage others to choose wisely and make humane food choices when doing their shopping too."
Rebecca Cook, Head of Prevention at RSPCA Victoria, said it's incredibly impactful to have such a high-calibre chef talk about the importance of thinking about where your food comes from.
"Right now, in Australia, around 10 million hens are in battery cages, That's around half of all layer hens in Australia.
"We're very grateful and excited to have Darren onboard as an ambassador to support all of our work, including the push to say bye bye to battery cages."
Darren, a regular guest chef on Masterchef, will also be supporting RSPCA's flagship Million Paws Walk event, with both physical events and a virtual option this May.
"Million Paws Walk is the most important event on the canine calendar, and I'm excited to be able to join the thousands of people and their dogs to show their support for the animals of Australia," said Darren.
Million Paws Walks will run across the state in metro and regional locations, including at Albert Park Lake in Melbourne, on Sunday 22 May.
For those who can't attend an event, there is the option to walk whenever it suits. People can sign up to both via the website www.millionpawswalk.com.au
"We know Darren has a lot of fans in Melbourne and right across Victoria - we would like to welcome him to the RSPCA family and thank him for donating his time to support us and raise awareness of our work," said Ms Cook.
