Alison attributes much of her success as a chef to the vigorous training she received at the world-famous culinary school, Westminster Hotel School in London which boasts other celebrity ex-students such as Jamie Oliver. She landed her first Head Chef position with New York ’s J P Morgan Investments branch in London at age 20. Her culinary career exploded from there with offers from all over the world including the playgrounds of the rich and famous in the USA, France and Australia which has involved her cooking for film stars, pop stars, sporting greats, Heads of State and royalty, including Queen Elizabeth. She was eventually appointed as chef for the VIP Lounge of the Australian Pavilion at World Expo 88, where she incidentally met and fell in love with her husband, Steve. Alison and Steve ran a successful gourmet catering business in Brisbane but now she is a Leading Vocational Teacher of Professional Cookery at Southbank Institute of Technology.
In 2004, Alison was the first ever chef to win a prestigious Churchill Fellowship which took her back to America to research culinary arts. Upon her return she wrote the inaugural graduate program for Australian qualified chefs. Then in 2006, Alison claimed a further award, namely, Outstanding Educator, for the program that she wrote. In this, her first cookbook, Alison enthusiastically shares her vast knowledge of interesting and easy dishes with all those endeavouring to remain cool, calm and stress free when entertaining at home.
