Join our nationalcommunity

Most of us know you from your TV appearances, products and cookbooks, but you left school at 14 and you’ve had an unusually diverse career – can you tell us a bit about your life before you became one of the country’s most famous foodies? My career in food has been a very happy accident. Before this wonderful and delicious life formed, I feel like I had worked as everything! From an executive assistant to the Senior Geophysicist for BP in Libya to a chef in a pub – I travelled as much as I could and learned so much from every job. I was a Lift Driver in a New Zealand Department store, and then back home I found myself in some amazing and disparate roles – from a citizenship law clerk for the American Embassy, house management at the women’s college of Sydney University, and even in light aircraft. I hate to sit still and found the challenge of all these different roles exhilarating. Food was always there, though, and I think it was always a ‘matter of time’ before it became not just a passion and lifestyle but a career too.

You and your husband, Colin, started a pheasant farm in the Barossa Valley in the early 70s. How did you come to live in the country? Colin grew up not far from the Barossa, in Mallala, and through and through is made for the country, though he did try his hand at the city life... We were newly married and living in Sydney (which I think we both knew wasn’t right for us) and one time we drove across to visit his family – through the Barossa. I knew instantly and immediately that we had to move here. I was at home immediately.

Saskia and Ellie, your daughters, also work with you. What’s the secret to running a successful family business? The girls work in their own businesses, though there’s the overlap in that it’s food and restauranteering. I never wanted the girls to feel that they had to pursue a vocation that tied in with mine, but food is in our blood. I grew up with parents who loved good food and who created such a strong impression of family food culture, and I think our girls are the same (and now their kids, too). I’m so very proud of them for what they do but more importantly who they are, and especially so because each has carved a niche for themselves in their work, and are just beautiful, strong people along with it.

The Maggie Beer brand is highly respected here in Australia and internationally. Do you have any tips on how to build and maintain a strong, reputable brand? Absolute unwavering dedication to quality. Everything I do has come about organically and almost by accident. That’s not to say there wasn’t a lot of hard work because of course it’s been a mad and demanding ride. But I didn’t set out to create a line of products... and I do what I do in the belief that I am creating something that is of as high a quality as if you were to join me for lunch at my kitchen table. Despite the quantity of products we make at the Export Kitchen I have stipulated since day dot that each product has to be made in small batches, a crucial step in maintaining that ‘just made for you’ taste that I want to offer. Never taking short cuts, staying true to what your customers expect, being reliable...these are all key in any business.

 What are the top five foods or ingredients you couldn’t live without? Just five! Oh dear. Verjuice, of course, is a passion of mine and has been a revolution in my cooking. The lift it gives food is so special. A really good quality Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil – the quality of our olive oils when produced properly is something to be so proud of. Rosemary, flat leaf parsley, lemon thyme – am I cheating here to sneak in the umbrella of herbs? Fresh herbs are a huge addition to any and every recipe and there’s no excuse to not have them. They grow so well in a pot on a windowsill and to pluck them straight from the bush, crush them and add them to your meal gives you such a depth of flavour and freshness. Top quality unsalted butter.  Murray River salt – how beautiful it is with that peach colour. Super fresh sea urchin roe – it’s more a meal than an ingredient but it’s one of my favourite flavours and if I could eat only one thing for the rest of my life (heaven forbid) this would have to make the shortlist... I know. That’s six, but truly, five is quite unkindly restrictive!

You were named ‘Senior Australian of the Year’ in 2010 in recognition of your focus on cooking with seasonal produce and the contribution you’ve made to helping Australians make informed food choices, and in 2011 you became ‘South Australian of the Year’ – tell us about these experiences. Both experiences were just utterly wonderful and totally surreal. From the Australia Day ceremony in Canberra being given the award by Kevin Rudd and meeting such incredibly inspirational people, to South Australian of the Year where I felt so distinguished to be recognised amongst some people that I so admire... it’s just been beyond a dream. I feel so blessed in so many ways but these honours have made me pinch myself. Since being named Senior Australian of the Year – which was January 2010 – I have feel like I’ve been going non stop, working hammer and tong to encourage all Australians to live a truly good food life – irrespective of age.

What are you working on at the moment? Too many things! I have some new desserty products in the final stages of recipe tasting and these should be released in the coming months, I have a new recipe book due out early next year and the Farmshop is busier than ever.

  You’ve raised two daughters while also running a successful business. Many of the women in our community are juggling the same responsibilities. Do you have any pearls of wisdom for us? I really don’t. Anyone – man or woman – who has to walk that tightrope between career and family will probably have that familiar sense of not doing either well enough. It’s a mum’s lot in life to want to do better, and the world Col and I created with The Pheasant Farm was a crazy, hectic, frenetic place to grow up in. The girls shaped themselves into it, and it in turn shaped them into the strong, capable women they are today. But what a juggling act it was.

We love Maggie Beer... and we love Maggie Beer Ice Cream too! That's why we are giving you the chance to WIN ice cream for your whole workplace at our up-coming breakfasts with Deborra-lee Furness in Sydney and Melbourne. Come along for your chance to WIN!

Is reading about all this ice cream making you hungry? Check out this gorgeous recipe for Brown Sugar Meringues with Strawberries and Cream that you can make with Maggie's ice cream. Yum!