Anna Olson
Encyclopedia
Anna Olson is a professionally trained pastry chef. She currently resides in the city of Welland, Ontario
in the Niagara region of Ontario
. She is the host of Fresh with Anna Olson
on Food Network Canada. She was previously the host of Food Network Canada's
Sugar and Kitchen Equipped
.
. Her parents, Donna & Andy Tomcik immigrated to Toronto, Ontario where she grew up. Olson earned a degree in political studies and sociology
from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario
. She also worked for a time in a bank in downtown Toronto. During her lunch breaks, Olson wandered the St. Lawrence Market
searching for different ingredients and inspiration for her next dinner party. Olson then enrolled in the College of Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University
in Denver, Colorado
. Upon her graduation from the university, Olson traveled across the United States
. She would eventually find her way to Niagara Falls
. Olson was a pastry chef at Inn on the Twenty in Jordan, Ontario for seven years, where she met her husband, chef Michael Olson.
Aside from working in television, Olson has also explored print media. The Inn on the Twenty Cookbook was co-authored by her husband and published in 2000. Olson also published a cookbook called Sugar in 2004. It was a companion to her TV show by the same name which can be found on Food Network Canada
. Olson co-authored another book with her husband which was released in October 2005. The book is called Anna & Michael Olson Cook at Home: Recipes for Everyday and Every Occasion. This is a menu-driven book which highlights how Olson and her husband cook at home. It also includes tips and tricks for entertaining and weeknight dining. Olson is writing another book with recipes derived from "Sugar", called Another Cup of Sugar slated for release in late 2006. Olson also writes for publications such as Vines and LCBO Food and Drink.
Anna Olson opened Olson Food at Port in Port Dalhousie. Port Dalhousie is a historic lakeside community in St. Catharines, Ontario
. She sold the Port Dalhousie shop in April 2009, to their long-time friend and pastry chef Andrea Poirier and her sister Leesa Leshkewich.
In July 2008, the Olsons opened their second location, Olson Foods at Ravine, in partnership with Ravine Vineyards in St. David's, Ontario. It was announced in a press release on Feb 1, 2010,that they are no longer involved with the location at The Ravine Winery and the partnership is ended.
Olson supports a local program called the Niagara Women’s Enterprise Centre. The centre provides training in the hospitality sector to women who might not have that opportunity, with her end-of-the-day product given to a local YWCA
women's shelter
or Out of the Cold Program.
In spring of 2005, Starbucks Coffee featured Olson in television advertisements aired nationally to promote their sweepstakes that was held in-conjunction with Food Network Canada
and to introduce Anna's Brown Sugar Pound Cake being sold in retail stores. This also included in-store advertising of her cake with special pastry toppers and take-home recipe cards.
In winter 2005, her Chai Decadence Chocolate Bundt Cake was one of the featured holiday pastries sold in stores (once again promoted with in-store recipe cards). Olson was also featured in the Christmas television advertisement for Starbucks Coffee Canada.
Olson was recently seen promoting Starbucks in the spring of 2006 in television advertisements for Starbucks Coffee's annual Brewing Sale 2006.
and has provided recipes on their official Canadian website.
, advertising kitchen products and appliances. She also has a recipe section on the Home Hardware website and contributes to Home Hardwares free quarterly magazine "Home at Home".
Welland, Ontario
Welland is a city in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Southern Ontario, Canada.The city has been traditionally known as the place where rails and water meet, referring to the railways from Buffalo to Toronto and Southwestern Ontario, and the waterways of Welland Canal and Welland River,...
in the Niagara region of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. She is the host of Fresh with Anna Olson
Fresh with Anna Olson
Fresh with Anna Olson is an award-winning cooking show presented by Anna Olson from her home in the Niagara region of Ontario. The series is a joint production between Food Network Canada and Peace Point Entertainment Group...
on Food Network Canada. She was previously the host of Food Network Canada's
Food Network Canada
Food Network is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel with programming related to food, cooking, cuisine, and the food industry. Food Network is a joint venture between Shaw Media, Corus Entertainment, and Scripps Networks Interactive....
Sugar and Kitchen Equipped
Kitchen Equipped
Kitchen Equipped is a show which can be seen on Food Network Canada and HGTV.The show, which shot 3 seasons was co-hosted by Canadian pastry and celeb chef Anna Olson , carpenter Jay Purvis, and interior designer Stacy McLennan . Both Olson and Purvis explore building and renovating a kitchen...
.
Biography
Olson was born Anna Tomcik in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. Her parents, Donna & Andy Tomcik immigrated to Toronto, Ontario where she grew up. Olson earned a degree in political studies and sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
. She also worked for a time in a bank in downtown Toronto. During her lunch breaks, Olson wandered the St. Lawrence Market
St. Lawrence Market
St. Lawrence Market is one of two major markets in Toronto, the other being Kensington Market.It features two buildings, both on the west side of Front St. East and Jarvis St. Each building holds different purposes:...
searching for different ingredients and inspiration for her next dinner party. Olson then enrolled in the College of Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University
Johnson & Wales University
Johnson & Wales University is a private, nonprofit, co-educational, career-oriented university with four campuses located throughout the United States. Providence, Rhode Island, USA, is home to JWU's first and largest of four currently operating campuses. Founded as a business school in 1914, by...
in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. Upon her graduation from the university, Olson traveled across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She would eventually find her way to Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
. Olson was a pastry chef at Inn on the Twenty in Jordan, Ontario for seven years, where she met her husband, chef Michael Olson.
Aside from working in television, Olson has also explored print media. The Inn on the Twenty Cookbook was co-authored by her husband and published in 2000. Olson also published a cookbook called Sugar in 2004. It was a companion to her TV show by the same name which can be found on Food Network Canada
Food Network Canada
Food Network is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel with programming related to food, cooking, cuisine, and the food industry. Food Network is a joint venture between Shaw Media, Corus Entertainment, and Scripps Networks Interactive....
. Olson co-authored another book with her husband which was released in October 2005. The book is called Anna & Michael Olson Cook at Home: Recipes for Everyday and Every Occasion. This is a menu-driven book which highlights how Olson and her husband cook at home. It also includes tips and tricks for entertaining and weeknight dining. Olson is writing another book with recipes derived from "Sugar", called Another Cup of Sugar slated for release in late 2006. Olson also writes for publications such as Vines and LCBO Food and Drink.
Anna Olson opened Olson Food at Port in Port Dalhousie. Port Dalhousie is a historic lakeside community in St. Catharines, Ontario
St. Catharines, Ontario
St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in Ontario, Canada, with 97.11 square kilometres of land...
. She sold the Port Dalhousie shop in April 2009, to their long-time friend and pastry chef Andrea Poirier and her sister Leesa Leshkewich.
In July 2008, the Olsons opened their second location, Olson Foods at Ravine, in partnership with Ravine Vineyards in St. David's, Ontario. It was announced in a press release on Feb 1, 2010,that they are no longer involved with the location at The Ravine Winery and the partnership is ended.
Olson supports a local program called the Niagara Women’s Enterprise Centre. The centre provides training in the hospitality sector to women who might not have that opportunity, with her end-of-the-day product given to a local YWCA
YWCA
The YWCA USA is the United States branch of a women's membership movement that strives to create opportunities for women's growth, leadership and power in order to attain a common vision—to eliminate racism and empower women. The YWCA is a non-profit organization, the first of which was founded in...
women's shelter
Women's shelter
A women's shelter is a place of temporary refuge and support for women escaping violent or abusive situations, such as rape, and domestic violence....
or Out of the Cold Program.
Starbucks Coffee
Olson has been featured for the past few years in various promotions for Starbucks Coffee Canada. This started in the winter of 2004, when her Mocha Bites recipe was featured on a recipe card available in Starbucks retail stores.In spring of 2005, Starbucks Coffee featured Olson in television advertisements aired nationally to promote their sweepstakes that was held in-conjunction with Food Network Canada
Food Network Canada
Food Network is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel with programming related to food, cooking, cuisine, and the food industry. Food Network is a joint venture between Shaw Media, Corus Entertainment, and Scripps Networks Interactive....
and to introduce Anna's Brown Sugar Pound Cake being sold in retail stores. This also included in-store advertising of her cake with special pastry toppers and take-home recipe cards.
In winter 2005, her Chai Decadence Chocolate Bundt Cake was one of the featured holiday pastries sold in stores (once again promoted with in-store recipe cards). Olson was also featured in the Christmas television advertisement for Starbucks Coffee Canada.
Olson was recently seen promoting Starbucks in the spring of 2006 in television advertisements for Starbucks Coffee's annual Brewing Sale 2006.
Splenda
Starting in late 2005, Olson has appeared in television advertisements for SplendaSplenda
Splenda is the commercial name and registered trade mark of a sucralose-based artificial sweetener derived from sugar, owned by the British company Tate & Lyle. Sucralose was discovered by Tate & Lyle and researchers at Queen Elizabeth College, University of London, in 1976...
and has provided recipes on their official Canadian website.
Pillsbury
Olson did commercials for Pillsbury Christmas cookies during the 2006 Christmas season.Home Hardware
Olson did television commercials and flyer ads in 2010 for Home HardwareHome Hardware
Home Hardware is a privately held Canadian home improvement, construction materials, and furniture retailer. Co-founded in 1964 by Walter Hachborn and headquartered in St...
, advertising kitchen products and appliances. She also has a recipe section on the Home Hardware website and contributes to Home Hardwares free quarterly magazine "Home at Home".
Filmography
| Television | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
| 2002-2007 | Sugar | Host | |
| 2005-2007 | Kitchen Equipped Kitchen Equipped Kitchen Equipped is a show which can be seen on Food Network Canada and HGTV.The show, which shot 3 seasons was co-hosted by Canadian pastry and celeb chef Anna Olson , carpenter Jay Purvis, and interior designer Stacy McLennan . Both Olson and Purvis explore building and renovating a kitchen... |
Co-host | |
| 2008-Present | Fresh with Anna Olson Fresh with Anna Olson Fresh with Anna Olson is an award-winning cooking show presented by Anna Olson from her home in the Niagara region of Ontario. The series is a joint production between Food Network Canada and Peace Point Entertainment Group... |
Host | |
| 2008 | Twas the Night Before Dinner Christmas Special | Herself | Christmas Christmas Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days... special with Bob Blumer Bob Blumer Bob Blumer is the host of Food Network's The Surreal Gourmet and Glutton for Punishment. He is also a cook book author and illustrator. Blumer was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, but now calls Los Angeles, California his home... , Anthony Sedlak Anthony Sedlak Anthony L. Sedlak is a Canadian chef, and the host of Food Network Canada's The Main. He was born in Prince George, British Columbia and grew up in North Vancouver.... , Laura Calder Laura Calder Laura Calder vthe host of the James Beard Award-winning series French Food at Home, airing on Food Network Canada, Cooking Channel U.S.A. and internationally. She is also a judge on Recipe to Riches, airing fall 2011 on Food Network Canada, and has been a guest judge on both Top Chef Canada and... , and Ricardo Larrivée Ricardo Larrivée Ricardo Larrivée, often simply known as Ricardo, is a trained hotel management graduate, TV host, and food writer. He currently hosts Ricardo on Radio-Canada and Ricardo and Friends which airs on Food Network Canada.-Career:... |
| 2009-Present | Live it Everyday | Co-host of the cooking club | |
Books
- Inn on the Twenty Cookbook co-wrote with Michael Olson (July 2003 Whitecap Publishing, ISBN 1-55285-518-X)
- Sugar - (April 2004 Whitecap Publishing, ISBN 1-55285-509-0)
- Anna & Michael Olson Cook at Home: Recipes for Everyday and Every Occasion co-wrote with Michael Olson - (October 2005 Whitecap Publishing, ISBN 1-55285-702-6)
- Another Cup of Sugar - (October 2006 Whitecap Publishing, ISBN 1-55285-809-X)
- In The Kitchen With Anna: New Ways With The Classics - (September 2008, Whitecap Publishing, ISBN 1-55285-946-0)
- Fresh with Anna Olson - (September 2009, Whitecap Publishing, ISBN 978-1-55285-995-7)