Tom Parker, Head Chef, White Swan at Fence

Tom Parker was born and bred in Fence near Burnley.  At the age of 16, having written to Nigel Haworth at Michelin-starred Northcote, he was offered his first job working alongside executive head chef Lisa Allen. At the age of 21, Tom Parker was awarded Young Chef of the Year and went on to become the youngest ever sous chef at Northcote. After a stint cooking in Mexico, he moved back to Burnley and became Head Chef at The White Swan in Fence.

In 2017 Tom took part in the BBC Great British Menu, alongside fellow NW chefs Ellis Barrie and Paul Askew,  with Tom’s dishes inspired by memories of summer holidays and picking berries in the Lancashire hedgerows close to his home. 

Since moving back to Fence Tom has also caught the attention of several critics including Jay Rayner whose comments on Tom include “Right now he’s giving a masterclass in how to craft tight, compact menus to a budget - without sacrificing flavour, inventiveness or wit” and whose menus all “have something that thrills.”

In 2018 The White Swan was awarded its first Michelin Star and achieved 19th position in the UK Top 50 Gastropubs.  In March 2019 Tom was named a Taste Lancashire Ambassador, in recognition of his culinary excellence and support of the county's Taste Lancashire activities, that champion Lancashire food and drink nationally and internationally