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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsIan Parmenter, the journalist, chef and presenter of ABC TV’s Consuming Passions, has died aged 79. ABC News reported his death on 15 April 2024, saying longtime friends confirmed he had died over the preceding weekend; the report did not specify the date.
Who was Ian Parmenter?
Born in London in 1945, Parmenter trained and worked as a journalist on Fleet Street before moving to Australia. He joined ABC Perth in 1974 and worked behind the scenes before becoming a television producer and director. His best-known role was as the presenter of Consuming Passions, a short-form cooking program that brought him to a national audience.
ABC News’s 15 April 2024 report recorded that he was 79 at the time of his death. Former ABC journalist and broadcaster Verity James remembered him as someone who “was unapologetically himself.”
What was Consuming Passions?
Parmenter presented 450 five-minute episodes of Consuming Passions between 1992 and 2001, according to ABC News. The series was a pioneering television cooking program, combining food with Parmenter’s informal, distinctive presenting style.
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Accounts of its international reach and awards differ by source and date, so the figures should be read as separate descriptions rather than a single reconciled record:
| ABC account | Reported reach or recognition |
|---|---|
| ABC Landline retrospective, 27 April 2024 | Reported that the program was sold in 19 countries and won the Grand Prix for the world’s best TV food program at France’s Festival International de Tele-Gourmande in 1997. Read the retrospective. |
| ABC profile, 5 May 2010 | Described the program as screening in Australia and 15 other countries and recorded awards for Parmenter and the program at the 1995 Festival de la Tele Gourmande. Read the profile. |
How was Parmenter connected to Western Australian tourism?
Parmenter moved to Margaret River in 1999 and became a prominent advocate for the South West’s food, wine and culture. His connection was as a broadcaster, event director and community advocate—not as a government tourism office-holder. He promoted local produce and the region’s character, and was involved in food events and festivals. The WA Parliament’s tribute records that he served as festival director of Tasting Australia.
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In a 2017 ABC interview, Parmenter described the region’s energy: “There’s just so much going on down here. It’s just extraordinary, the amount of energy that is in this place.” A Margaret River local, Susie Ormonde, said he encouraged people “to value what we have down here” and recognise “the importance of community and the small, deep connections we can make in towns.”
In 2011, Parmenter received the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the food and tourism industries as an event director, author, journalist and broadcaster, ABC News reported.
How is Ian Parmenter remembered?
Parmenter’s career linked food television with regional life: he made cooking accessible in short episodes, then used his public profile to champion the produce, culture and community of Margaret River and Western Australia’s South West. In a tribute delivered in the WA Legislative Assembly on 17 April 2024, Minister for Culture and the Arts David Templeman said: “Ian Parmenter will be warmly remembered by all Australians.”
The parliamentary tribute also names his recipe collections Cooking with Passion and Consuming Passions: Cooking with Ian Parmenter. The tribute is available in the Legislative Assembly Hansard for 17 April 2024.
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