Maggie
Beer

Speaker Profile

Maggie Beer was born and raised in Sydney. In 1973, she and her husband Colin felt an inevitable draw to the beauty of the Barossa Valley, understandable given that Colin's family came from nearby Mallala. Here they settled, with the intention of breeding game birds and growing grapes. The establishment of their farm led to the now legendary Pheasant Farm Restaurant. With Maggie in the kitchen, and with her passion for top quality food and flavours, The Pheasant Farm quickly took its place at the forefront of Australian dining experiences. In 1991, Maggie Beer and The Pheasant Farm were honoured with the prestigious Remy Martin Cognac/Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant of the Year award. The restaurant's fame ironically led to its closing in November 1993, as Maggie was burnt out from its very success.

These days, Maggie’s career spans farming, food production, exporting, food writing and television presenting, and Maggie is proud to be the South Australian ambassador of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation – a national project that encourages school aged children to get into the garden and grow their own produce.

Maggie has published seven cook books, with an eighth in the making. Her appearance in the popular ABC series The Cook & The Chef cemented Maggie's place as one of Australia's most well known food personalities. In January 2010, Maggie was named Senior Australian of the Year at a special Australia Day ceremony.

Maggie believes wholeheartedly in the importance of a good food life, and hopes to encourage everyone to enjoy quality, seasonal cooking every day.

Travels from South Australia