Anna Olson

Anna Tomcik Olson was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Her parents, Donna and Andy Tomcik,[2] immigrated to Toronto where she grew up. Olson's grandparents came from Slovakia.[3] Olson earned a degree in political studies and sociology from Queen's University in Kingston. 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 Providence, Rhode Island. 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.[4]

Olson's writings include The Inn on the Twenty Cookbook, 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. In late 2006, another cookbook with recipes derived from "Sugar", called Another Cup of Sugar was released. Olson also writes for publications such as Vines and LCBO Food and Drink.

Anna Olson opened Olson Food at Port in Port Dalhousie, 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.[5]

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 dated Feb 1, 2010 that they are no longer involved with the location at The Ravine Winery and the partnership was ended.[6]

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.

• Inn on the Twenty Cookbook co-written 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)
• Back to Baking: 200 Timeless Recipes to Bake, Share, Enjoy - (December 2011, Whitecap Publishing, ISBN 978-1-77050-063-1)
• Bake with Anna Olson: More than 125 Simple, Scrumptious and Sensational Recipes to Make You a Better Baker - (September 13, 2016; Appetite by Random House, ISBN 978-0-14-753021-9)
• Set for the Holidays with Anna Olson - (October 2018, Appetite by Random House, ISBN 978-0-14-753081-3)

• Official Site
• Anna Olson on IMDb
• Olson Food and Bakery official website
• Anna Olson Official Host Profile on Foodtv.ca - Food Network Canada website
• Anna Olson Host Profile for hgtv.ca - HGTV Canada website
• Anna Olson at the Chef and Restaurant Database
• Anna Olson on Twitter
• Oh Yum with Anna Olson's channel on YouTube