News

February 1, 2009

Mark “The Black” Olive is Australia’s most acclaimed Aboriginal chef.  A proud Bundjalong man, Mark has a passion and a talent for bringing the vibrant colours and earthy tastes of ancient outback flavours to tables across Australia and throughout the world.

As a child Mark watched his mother and aunties prepare food in Wollongong using traditional ingredients such as wattle seed or lemon myrtle and eventually trained under Italian chef Rino Collechia to learn his skills.

In 1993, Mark decided to have a break from cooking to follow his other love of film and television and started studying at the Australian Film Television and Radio School.

Eventually Mark appeared on the ABC TV series “Message Stick” as the resident chef and later showcased native food from Aboriginal communities throughout the country on The Outback Café, produced by the Lifestyle Channel on Foxtel. The Outback Cafe series has proved very popular, out-rating well-established celebrity chef Nigella Lawson’s and Jamie Oliver’s cooking shows!

Mark plans his own restaurant in Melbourne that will act as a training centre for young Indigenous people to enter into the hospitality industry in a culturally appropriate way.

This year, with fellow Aboriginal business partner, Mikael Smith, Mark launched the company Black Olive Productions, which includes a catering arm specialising in contemporary, gourmet Indigenous cuisine.