Annie Smithers began her culinary career by serving an apprenticeship with Stephanie Alexander. After working in many of Melbourne and regional Victoria's top restaurants, Annie opened her own restaurant, Annie Smithers Bistrot, in the historic town of Kyneton, Victoria, in 2005.

The bulk of the produce for Annie's French bistro-style food is sourced from her own garden, and the menu is shaped daily according to which ingredients are at their seasonal best.

To showcase a more casual style of dining and her passion for preserving, Annie recently opened a cafe and foodstore called Du Fermier (literally, from the farmhouse) in the nearby township of Trentham. Annie's Garden to Table is her first cookbook.