Ann continues to be inspired by the produce she grows and is constantly writing and publishing new recipes on cuisine-extreme where she is again publishing occasional restaurant reviews that are being well received.

For the first time in many years Ann has committed to SALA this year. Full details, exhibition history and work for sale can be found here.

A long wet winter has seen Ann struggle with painting as everything has been so slow drying. Her first exhibition in 2022 “Miscellaney”, an on-line exhibition will be launched the last week in September.

An avid cook Ann continues to research and publish recipes on her web site cuisine-extreme

Ann has spent most of 2021 painting and writing [no, not a cookbook] and exploring new recipes.

A devoted gardener she finds an abundance of inspiration from the produce she grows and the produce she purchases from farms like Patlin Gardens and The Food Forest.

‘Mainly Flowers’ Ann’s first solo exhibition in some years will go live on this web site the first week in December after having been available to a limited list for 10 days.

Ann Oliver and Kaaren Palmer continue to explore their fascination for tasting and matching food to Champagne and constantly building on their extensive knowledge. Kaaren with her technical and tasting knowledge and Ann with her ability to correctly profile the palate, mouth feel and length to food.

A promising start to 2020 has resulted in tumultuous change for the hospitality industry worldwide. Australians, like citizens of many other countries have been asked to stay home in an effort to slow the spread of the pandemic.

A time to paint, write and garden and comfort those whose lives are so suddenly changed….and to be generous and kind with what you have.

2019 has brought a year of great change for Oliver. Her plans to travel and visit friends and make new ones across the broad landscape of Australia had to be postponed because of family and personal matters. 2020 is the new date. A competent photographer, writer, artist and web developer, Oliver is keen to celebrate the exceptional, the unusual and the iconic, but keen to focus on the people in the culinary world who so often go unnoticed by the press. because they are labelled too eccentric. She jokes, that of course, she will fit right in.

Oliver maintains many skills that are art related and is constantly working on her web site designing and building skills. A keen photographer and a competent writer she works hard to stay abreast of the latest software and web building developments. Ann has picked up her brushes and working toward a solo exhibition in 2020.

Ann Oliver and Kaaren Palmer continue to collaborate with Champagne education and Oliver’s undying passion for the best effervescent drop sees her constantly working on food matches for specific Champagne styles and houses. Oliver’s interest in wine is broad and she is highly regarded for her ability to match food to wine.

Oliver acknowledges, although retired, her love of food and cooking hasn’t simply stopped and says it drips constantly from her brain like some sort of torture that needs to be succumbed to or go completely crazy. Luckily, she has found a repository for this continuing passion in her web site
cuisine-extreme.com

Is there a cookbook coming….. “definitely not!”

annoliver.com and cuisine-extreme.com are designed and built by Ann Oliver.

Oliver continued to cook occasionally for Penfolds at their exclusive Kalimna Homestead located in the Barossa Valley. A ten year love affair with the role, and a life long passion for the Penfolds brand, the catering at their homestead will be in the safe hands of the Magill Estate Restaurant team led by Scott Huggins. Ann will continue to cook and consult very occasionally for a small group of long-term clients from the wine industry.

Much of 2018 was spent gaining new web design skills and she completed new web sites for Thorn Park by the vines, in the city and on the island thornpark.com.au and also gave Oliver and an opportunity to focus on her new web site cuisine-extreme.com

The plan to migrate the significant content from the 10 year old www.galaxyguides.com to the new site cuisine-extreme.com progressed slowly. Kaaren Palmer has a new site which is exclusively devoted to Champagne kaaren-palmer-champagne.com

After three years Ann finished at Chianti Adelaide at the end of June 2017 and continues to cook and consult to a handful of favourite clients with occasional work. She is pursuing a number of creative projects including a very exciting rebrand for Galaxy Guides that will go live November 1, 2017.

For the first time since 1981 when she opened Mistress Augustine’s restaurant, Ann is finding the time to explore the dozens of culinary ideas that have been set to one side for a long time. Of course, writing and painting are high on her list.

In 2018 Ann hopes to travel in wild Australia looking for crazy cooks, professional and domestic…expect something very sideways!!

Ann Oliver continues to work on a regular basis for Penfolds at their Barossa property in the Kalimna vineyards.

Additionally Ann has stayed with the Chianti Adelaide team as their consultant chef with a very hands-on role. She has also expanded that role to take on marketing, press/media which also encompasses web site and social media for Chianti. It is clear that the Favaro Family and head chef and part owner Tobias Gush have developed a strong bond with Ann and she is equally loyal and invigorated by the critical success of their relationship.

A stable venue at Chianti, and indulgent management has allowed Oliver to participate in many great lunches and dinners since 2014. The success of these events has continued to grow…to see the 2016 program please CLICK HERE. For general events including Giro d’Italia dinners and lunches CLICK HERE to subscribe to the Chianti list.

Galaxy Guides Champagne editor Kaaren Palmer will launch her book about Champagne in Reims, France, in April this year.

There will be a Champagne event at Chianti hosted by Kaaren later this year.  Places for Kaaren’s Champagne events sell out very quickly. Subscribers receive a one week advance notice before they are available on the web site and social media. To subscribe to

KAAREN PALMER’S CHAMPAGNE list CLICK HERE

Galaxy Guides recipes continue with consistent traffic and there are plans to completely re-brand at the end of 2016…so stay tuned.

Art may seem rather on the back burner for the minute, but, Ann is working towards her first large exhibition in many years, most likely early 2017. However she is participating in a 2016 SALA exhibition in August 2016…EAT OUR ART..at BAR TORINO (sibling to Chianti). This is a group exhibition from the many Chianti and Bar Torino staff who participate in the arts.

Ann Oliver plays and active role in the world of food and wine. She continues to work for Penfolds at their Barossa Valley Kalimna homestead, is planning several fine wine dinners showcasing the very best of old and new world wines in particular Champagne for 2014.

Champagne continues to be a passion for Oliver and this year she has worked with Chianti Classico team to do a brunch for Billecart in March and in June a very special dinner introducing the stunning Besserat Champagnes to devotees.

Oliver is currently consulting to Chianti Classico in Adelaide and continues to work as a graphic artist, artist and web designer. Add to that her main web site www.galaxyguides.com where she is both food editor and publisher  continues to grow and develop.

After the success of her 2013 exhibition EAT MY ART as part of the annual SALA 2014 (South Australian Living Artists Festival) Ann will exhibit her work from August 4 to 22, 2014 at Chianti Classico, 160 Hutt Street, Adelaide South Australia.

Ann continued to work extensively for Penfolds wines at their Barossa Kalimna Homestead. One of the highlights of her year for her was to stage the launch part for Milton Wordley’s ‘A Year in the Life of Grange’. This superb homage to Penfolds Grange is now nominated for multitudinous awards across the world.

The Galaxy Guides COOKS’ CLUB continued to expand and with Galaxy Guides Champagne editor Kaaren Palmer they staged a number of applauded Champagne dinners and classes focused around Champagne.

As Galaxy Guides continues to grow it becomes more and more demanding time wise, but after six years it is an established leader in concise professional restaurant reviewing, recipes that work, and fabulous contributions from knowledgeable contributors.

In July Ann staged her first EAT MY ART an exhibition of her watercolours and oils and co-timed lunches with matched food and wine.

Oliver runs a busy schedule that encompasses all of her many skills.

At the time when most people would be thinking about slowing down Ann Oliver’s energy and passion for food wine and travel remain undiminished. She continues to work at the highest level for the wine industry and also continues to cook for smaller private functions and the corporate sector.

Web design and maintenance in the hospitality and tourism industry continues to be a significant area of Ann’s work where she has carved herself a niche being in the unique position of being able to build, design and maintain web sites, take quality images and be able to write food, wine and tourism click here to see some of Ann’s other sites.

This year Ann has branched out into events within the galaxy guides In April this year Ann worked with David Laris at Sinan Mansion in Shanghai conducting a very successful South Australian promotion click here for full details. 12 Chairs, the main focus of the promotion has subsequently been awarded best fine dining in Shanghai. Next week Ann will be the guest chef for the annual South Australian Champagne Bureau Dinner at Windy Point Restaurant click here to see the menu and Champagnes. Sunday October a second organic and biodynamic lunch at Paxton Vineyards Cellar Door.

Ann Oliver’s COOKS’ CLUB continued to grow in popularity because of the in–depth teaching and passion behind detail and seasonality and imparting a skill by driving home the maths and chemistry of cooking with a great deal of passion and creativity click here for class details.

A revamped web site for Paracombe Wines and a brand new web site for Mitchell Wines.

Ann continued to publish weekly content in the Independent Weekly and food editor for Southern Rocklobster LimitedChef News where she is responsible for developing recipes, producing their html newsletter whilst at the same time helping develop the American market for the company.

In January Ann added food to Galayx Guides where she has the dual roles of food editor and publisher. 2010 will see a brand new web site for Galaxy Guides, fully searchable recipes and restaurant reviews and also expects to complete Australia .

In August Ann exhibited mixed works of photography, water colours and oils at Rockford Wines as part of SALA (South Australian Living Artists). Ann also added the national store Wheel&Barrow to her client base doing photographs and recipes for their Christmas stock.

Ann is currently consulting in a creative role to the Sparr Group’s restaurants Windy Point Restaurant and Café, Red Ochre Restaurant, River Torrens Café and the Sebel Playford Hotel Adelaide.

About to start work on a new web site for the beautiful Conservatory Home and Garden shop Ann is also working on a promotion for the 2010 Adelaide Festival of Arts a supper club in Adelaide city.

2008 started with an assignment in Chengdu for the Changfu Group where Ann was engaged to teach the group’s master chefs some western cuisine.

On going commitment to Southern Rocklobster Limited playing a key role in the company’s entry into the high-end restaurant market in America. Ann is responsible for the recipe and technique development for the company and also edits their html newsletter CHEF NEWS.

Ann continued to design and build web sites, most recently Thorn Park by the Vines the superb reincarnation of Thorn Park Country House.

Ann continued to write a week restaurant review for the Independent Weekly

Many cooking assignments for the wine industry.

Ann continued to devote huge energy to Galaxy Guides as food editor and publisher.

2007 started with the ending of an assignment opening Buskers a cute little café catering to tourists and locals at the head of the Adelaide Rundle Mall. The next day it was off to Shanghai to do the launch party for the American company TOUCH MEDIA. A huge and ritzy event for 600 people it was a challenge. A massive five days prep a couple of days catching up with friends in Shanghai and collecting material for Galaxy Guides and it was back to Adelaide.

2007 was a year of great assignments, mass recipe development, especially for Australian Southern Rocklobster Limited.

in2 food – weekly contribution of complete pages for Adelaide Independent, 2007 is the fifteenth year of weekly contributions to food pages in Australian press

Especial highlights were

• Rockford Wines Stonewall lunches while their chefs took holidays

• Cooking classes for Willabrand Figs and Thorn Park Country House

• Olive oil judging – Olives SA  and Fiesta McLaren Vale Show

• Fiesta event at Talinga Grove ‘come to the casbah’

• The Lucia’s family wedding eight courses all cooked on site (including the bread) at Bird in Hand Wines

• And of course no kitchen to speak of, the Annual Clare Valley Winemakers lunch

• Multitudinous large events for the wine and food industry

• Web sites for The Miner’s Cottage and maintaining, Windy Point Restaurant and Café, Paracombe Wines,

Lucia’s Fine Foods, Sauchin, Coates Wines, Willabrand Figs

• Continued contributions to Australian Southern Rocklobster web site and taking on the role of food editor for a series of CHEF NEWS aimed at the high end of international cooking

• Liang Tang (T8 Shanghai) and Lily Wang (Laris Shanghai) our first traineeships with more to follow.

• Reviewing for Galaxy Guides in Western Australia, the Margaret River and Brisbane

A great year full of diverse assignments and stimulating challenges.

• October 2007 A collaboration with the Associates in Glass Blowing at Adelaide’s prestigious JamFactory Contemporary Craft and Design’ Centre – an official TASTING AUSTRALIA EVENT

Ann joined e-wine exchange in 2001 as their food editor and worked with colleague winemaker Jane Paull to develop and extensive food and wine web site for them. Whilst this was an extremely demanding position Ann continued to write a weekly column for the Adelaide Advertiser, where by this time she had developed a very strong following.

From this position Oliver was lucky enough to develop skills with building web sites and coding and added this to her graphics background. Sadly the company was caught in the collapse of the NASDAQ and was unable to continue its operation.

During this time she also attended the Slow Food Symposium and the Salon del Gusto in Bologna Italy.

2001 July – Guest Chef Laffite Restaurant the Shangri-la Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

A lot of gardening a lot of cooking, Ann continues to write recipes and has started to do occasional restaurant reviews that are being well received check it out on cuisine-extreme.com 

Additionally Ann is doing SALA [South Australian Living Artists] for the first time in many years. Details for SALA, work for sale and exhibition history are available here

Part-time Chef Astor Hotel as part of an agreement with their receivers Ernst and Young Ann was employed to restructure the operation.

Cooking classes for David Jones Limited that proved to be extremely successful and found a very large following.

Regular contributor Advertiser Newspapers Limited Food & Wine pages

Owner Chef/Restaurateur Mistress Augustine’s Restaurant

Executive/head chef, hands-on plus all facets of restaurant management. Ann became known, not just one farms but she was a constant at South Australia’s wholesale vegetable markets securing the very best available produce. In modest surroundings her restaurant achieved a two hat rating in the National Good Food Guides and a reputation for cutting edge food, fantastic produce and legendary desserts.

Mistress Augustine’s became a destination for all national and international visitors to Adelaide.

Late night suppers during Festivals of Arts, Grand Prix and large concerts the restaurant often stayed open till daylight.

1989 – Adelaide Advertiser Food & Wine Guide Chef of the Year

Courvoissier’s Top 100 Restaurants in the World.

Prior to opening Mistress Augustine’s Restaurant Ann Oliver worked as a scientific illustrator and graphic artist. Her starting point EMI Electronics where she worked on various restricted programs for the Australian Government that later led her to ISI International and from there she moved to Teknis Pty Limited where she was responsible for all the documentation. A cutting edge electronics business she worked closely with engineers on highly complex and innovative projects including railways signalling systems for the mining industry.

During this period she also conducted a small graphics business Ingleberne Graphics and did several small magazines including the South Australian Science Teachers Journal, The South Australian English Teachers Journal and the Australian Physicist for many years.

During much of this period her art was directed to fabric  printing and sewing garments from that fabric.