Midden:

Shellheaps,ormiddens,weremorethanjustpiles

ofshells.Theywerevibrantcommunalspaceswhere

Indigenouspeoplecooked,ate,andgatheredasfamilies.

Similartoamodern-dayfamilykitchen,

theseplaceswerefilledwithlaughterand

conversation.

Meet the team

ambassador
chef

Mark
Olive

Mark

Olive,

aka

‘The

Black

Olive’,

is

Australia’s

most

celebrated

indigenous

chef.

Over

the

past

30 years

he

has

become

known

around

the

world

thanks

to

his

skill

and

passion

for

fusing

native

ingredients

with

contemporary

cooking,

helping

educate

audiences

about

Australia's

rich

Indigenous

culture

and

traditions

in

the

process.

A

Bunjalung

man,

Mark

became

interested

in

cooking

as

a

child

watching

his

mother

and

aunts

prepare

meals

with

traditional

plants

like

Wattle

seed

and

Lemon

Myrtle

while

growing

up

in

and

around

Wollongong

on

Australia's

south

coast.

By

the

1990s

Mark

had

opened

his

own

restaurant

in

the

heart

of

Sydney's

CBD

-

the

oozing

with

Indigenous

ingredients

which,

at

that

time,

most

Australians

had

never

heard

of,

let

alone

tasted,

for

themselves.

Taking

a

short

break

from

chef

life,

Mark

moved

to

Melbourne

to

study

acting

and

theatre

which

led

to

him

directing

his

first

film

"Passing

Through",

exploring

issues

of

identity,

culture

and

family.

It

wasn't

long

before

Mark

decided

to

combine

his

passions

for

food

and

storytelling,

creating

and

starring

in

his

ground-breaking

television

series

“The

Outback

Café",

which

can

still

be

seen

on

screens

internationally.

In

addition

to

cooking,

Mark

has

had

a

successful

media

career

starting

in

The

Outback

Café

and

as

a

trusted

expert

and

consummate

co-host

and

guest

on

programs

such

as

“A

Chef’s

Line”,

“On

Country

Kitchen”

and

“Good

Cooks”,

“The

Celebrity

Apprentice”,

“The

Cook

Up

with

Adam

Liaw”

and

“Big

Mob

Brekky.

Mark's

incredible

knowledge

for

Indigenous

Australian

cuisine

and

culture

sees

him

in

high

demand

by

corporate

clients

and

tourism

bodies

around

the

world.

In

2010,

as

part

of

Oprah’s

'Ultimate

Australian

Adventure',

the

American

talk

show

queen's

lucky

guests

were

treated

to

a

cooking

demonstration

by

Mark.

In

his

spare

time,

he

loves

spending

time

working

in

his

hometown

of

Wollongong

offering

Indigenous

food

experiences

at

his

boutique

café

“The

Farm

Kiosk”

at

Killalea

State

Park

on

Dharawal

Country.

executive
chef

Damien
Worthington

Chef

Damien

Worthington

has

had

an

impressive

culinary

journey,

marked

by

his

work

at

renowned

dining

establishments

and

his

recognition

as

a

skilled

chef.

He

began

his

career

at

prestigious

5-star

hotels

in

Sydney

and

Port

Douglas,

where

he

honed

his

skills

and

gained

valuable

experience.

One

of

Damien's

significant

achievements

was

his

role

as

the

head

chef

at

Giuseppe

&

Sons

'hatted'

Italian

restaurant

located

in

Melbourne's

Crown

Casino.

This

position

allowed

him

to

showcase

his

culinary

expertise

and

garnered

him

recognition

within

the

industry.

Driven

by

a

thirst

for

exploration

and

a

desire

to

expand

his

culinary

horizons,

Damien

embarked

on

a

journey

to

Bali.

There,

he

immersed

himself

in

a

different

cultural

setting,

further

refining

his

skills

and

broadening

his

culinary

repertoire.

Returning

to

Australia,

Damien

joined

the

culinary

team

at

QT

Hotels

in

both

Sydney

and

Canberra,

making

substantial

contributions

to

their

dining

experiences.

His

culinary

talent

shone

brightly

when

he

assumed

the

position

of

Executive

Chef

at

two

of

Sydney's

most

iconic

locations—the

Botanic

House

&

Farm

Cove

Eatery,

nestled

within

the

prestigious

Royal

Botanic

Gardens

Sydney,

and

the

critically

acclaimed

'Crafted

by

Matt

Moran'

restaurant

at

the

Art

Gallery

of

NSW.

Damien's

diverse

background

and

experiences

have

moulded

him

into

a

versatile

and

skilled

chef,

capable

of

creating

exceptional

dining

experiences

in

a

variety

of

settings.

His

passion

for

culinary

innovation

and

dedication

to

delivering

excellence

have

firmly

established

him

as

a

respected

figure

in

the

vibrant

culinary

scene

of

Sydney.

With

each

dish

he

creates,

Damien

strives

to

push

the

boundaries

of

flavour,

presentation,

and

overall

dining

experience,

leaving

a

lasting

impression

on

the

palates

of

his

guests.

MarkOlive
Australia’smostcelebratedindigenouschef

OpeningMiddenbyMarkOliveattheSydneyOperaHouseonTubowgule,Gadigalcountryisadreamcometrue.ThisisthemosticonicbuildinginthecountryandIcouldn’tbeproudertofollowinthepioneeringfootstepsofleadingIndigenousAustralianslikeRhodaRoberts,JustineSaunders&StephenPagewhohavebroughtincredibleFirstNationsstorytellingtothisplaceoverthepast50years.

Ofcourse,thelandonwhichtheOperaHousestandstodaywasagatheringplaceforstorytelling,ceremony,andcultureforthousandsofyearsbeforethebuildingitselfwaseverconceived.Ihopethemenuwe’vecreatedatMiddenbyMarkOlivegivesguestsarealtasteofourmillennia-oldhistoryandmaybeeveninspiressomeofthemtocookwithourvibrantnativeAustralianingredientsathomeaswell.

Doltone Hospitality Group, an acclaimed and prestigious Australian-owned and managed hospitality company with over 30 individual branded venues, was appointed by the Opera House as the operator of its Western Foyers restaurant and theatre bars for a five-year term following a public tender process.

ExplorewhatMiddenhastooffer

IndulgeinMidden’smenufeaturingAustralianindigenousingredients.

find out more

ExplorewhatMiddenhastooffer

IndulgeinMidden’smenufeaturingAustralianindigenousingredients.

find out more

Meet the team

ambassador
chef

Mark
Olive

Mark

Olive,

aka

‘The

Black

Olive’,

is

Australia’s

most

celebrated

indigenous

chef.

Over

the

past

30 years

he

has

become

known

around

the

world

thanks

to

his

skill

and

passion

for

fusing

native

ingredients

with

contemporary

cooking,

helping

educate

audiences

about

Australia's

rich

Indigenous

culture

and

traditions

in

the

process.

A

Bunjalung

man,

Mark

became

interested

in

cooking

as

a

child

watching

his

mother

and

aunts

prepare

meals

with

traditional

plants

like

Wattle

seed

and

Lemon

Myrtle

while

growing

up

in

and

around

Wollongong

on

Australia's

south

coast.

By

the

1990s

Mark

had

opened

his

own

restaurant

in

the

heart

of

Sydney's

CBD

-

the

oozing

with

Indigenous

ingredients

which,

at

that

time,

most

Australians

had

never

heard

of,

let

alone

tasted,

for

themselves.

Taking

a

short

break

from

chef

life,

Mark

moved

to

Melbourne

to

study

acting

and

theatre

which

led

to

him

directing

his

first

film

"Passing

Through",

exploring

issues

of

identity,

culture

and

family.

It

wasn't

long

before

Mark

decided

to

combine

his

passions

for

food

and

storytelling,

creating

and

starring

in

his

ground-breaking

television

series

“The

Outback

Café",

which

can

still

be

seen

on

screens

internationally.

In

addition

to

cooking,

Mark

has

had

a

successful

media

career

starting

in

The

Outback

Café

and

as

a

trusted

expert

and

consummate

co-host

and

guest

on

programs

such

as

“A

Chef’s

Line”,

“On

Country

Kitchen”

and

“Good

Cooks”,

“The

Celebrity

Apprentice”,

“The

Cook

Up

with

Adam

Liaw”

and

“Big

Mob

Brekky.

Mark's

incredible

knowledge

for

Indigenous

Australian

cuisine

and

culture

sees

him

in

high

demand

by

corporate

clients

and

tourism

bodies

around

the

world.

In

2010,

as

part

of

Oprah’s

'Ultimate

Australian

Adventure',

the

American

talk

show

queen's

lucky

guests

were

treated

to

a

cooking

demonstration

by

Mark.

In

his

spare

time,

he

loves

spending

time

working

in

his

hometown

of

Wollongong

offering

Indigenous

food

experiences

at

his

boutique

café

“The

Farm

Kiosk”

at

Killalea

State

Park

on

Dharawal

Country.

executive
chef

Damien
Worthington

Chef

Damien

Worthington

has

had

an

impressive

culinary

journey,

marked

by

his

work

at

renowned

dining

establishments

and

his

recognition

as

a

skilled

chef.

He

began

his

career

at

prestigious

5-star

hotels

in

Sydney

and

Port

Douglas,

where

he

honed

his

skills

and

gained

valuable

experience.

One

of

Damien's

significant

achievements

was

his

role

as

the

head

chef

at

Giuseppe

&

Sons

'hatted'

Italian

restaurant

located

in

Melbourne's

Crown

Casino.

This

position

allowed

him

to

showcase

his

culinary

expertise

and

garnered

him

recognition

within

the

industry.

Driven

by

a

thirst

for

exploration

and

a

desire

to

expand

his

culinary

horizons,

Damien

embarked

on

a

journey

to

Bali.

There,

he

immersed

himself

in

a

different

cultural

setting,

further

refining

his

skills

and

broadening

his

culinary

repertoire.

Returning

to

Australia,

Damien

joined

the

culinary

team

at

QT

Hotels

in

both

Sydney

and

Canberra,

making

substantial

contributions

to

their

dining

experiences.

His

culinary

talent

shone

brightly

when

he

assumed

the

position

of

Executive

Chef

at

two

of

Sydney's

most

iconic

locations—the

Botanic

House

&

Farm

Cove

Eatery,

nestled

within

the

prestigious

Royal

Botanic

Gardens

Sydney,

and

the

critically

acclaimed

'Crafted

by

Matt

Moran'

restaurant

at

the

Art

Gallery

of

NSW.

Damien's

diverse

background

and

experiences

have

moulded

him

into

a

versatile

and

skilled

chef,

capable

of

creating

exceptional

dining

experiences

in

a

variety

of

settings.

His

passion

for

culinary

innovation

and

dedication

to

delivering

excellence

have

firmly

established

him

as

a

respected

figure

in

the

vibrant

culinary

scene

of

Sydney.

With

each

dish

he

creates,

Damien

strives

to

push

the

boundaries

of

flavour,

presentation,

and

overall

dining

experience,

leaving

a

lasting

impression

on

the

palates

of

his

guests.

Meet the team

ambassadorchef

ambassador

chef

MarkOlive

Mark

Olive

ambassador
chef

Mark
Olive