Maggie Beer facts for kids
Beer at the Australia Day citizenship ceremony at Commonwealth Park in Canberra
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| Born | Margaret Anne Ackerman 19 January 1945 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
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Colin Beer
(m. 1970) |
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Current restaurant(s)
Barossa Pheasant Farm Restaurant, Charlick's Feed Store
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Television show(s)
The Great Australian Bake Off, The Cook and the Chef
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Award(s) won
Australian Publishers Association's Illustrated Book of the Year
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Maggie Beer (born Margaret Anne Ackerman on January 19, 1945) is a famous Australian chef. She is also a food author, a restaurant owner, and makes her own food products. Maggie was a judge on The Great Australian Bake Off until 2022. She also often appears as a guest on MasterChef Australia.
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Maggie Beer's Early Life
Maggie Beer was born in Sydney, Australia, in January 1945. Her father, Ronald Ackerman, had German family roots. Her mother, Doreen Carter, had English family roots. Maggie grew up with her family in the western parts of Sydney.
Her parents faced tough times with their business when she was young. They later became caterers, which means they prepared food for events. Maggie says this experience helped her develop a strong work ethic. She learned to work hard from a young age.
Maggie did not finish high school. She left school at 14 to help her family. She worked in different jobs, including as a lift operator in a department store in New Zealand. She also worked as an assistant for a scientist in Libya. She returned to Sydney in 1968. Maggie believes her love for food started in her childhood. She said, "Food was vital; there was a real interest in food and its quality and an obsession with freshness. Cooking was just accepted, it was part of the norm."
Maggie Beer's Cooking Career
Maggie Beer has had a very successful career in food for almost 50 years. She never had formal training to become a chef. Her first paid cooking job was at a sailing school in Scotland. This was during a trip to Europe when she was in her early twenties. She mentioned that she used up all their food supplies very quickly. She explained, "I used the whole of their larder for the four-month season in eight weeks because I'm a very generous cook, that's the only way I know how to cook."
Starting Restaurants and Food Businesses
After moving to the Barossa Valley in Australia, Maggie and her husband Colin opened the Farm Shop in 1979. This shop soon became the Barossa Pheasant Farm Restaurant. The restaurant became famous for serving local pheasant and a special spread called Pheasant Farm Pate. In 1991, the restaurant won a big award: the Remy Martin Cognac – Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant of the Year. Maggie and Colin ran this popular restaurant until 1993. Later, she also became a partner in another restaurant called Charlick's Feed Store in Adelaide city centre.
Maggie also started a business in the Barossa Valley that makes gourmet foods. These foods include Pheasant Farm Pate, quince paste, verjuice, and fancy ice creams. The Maggie Beer Farm Shop began in 1979 and grew a lot over the years. In 2016, 48% of her business was sold to a company called Longtable. The rest of the business was sold to the same company in 2019.
Television Appearances
Maggie Beer co-hosted a cooking show on the ABC called The Cook and the Chef. Her co-host was Simon Bryant, who is a head chef at the Hilton in Adelaide. She has also appeared many times on MasterChef Australia. On this show, she was a guest judge and taught special cooking classes.
In April 2015, Maggie Beer and Matt Moran were announced as judges for the second season of The Great Australian Bake Off. This show started airing on LifeStyle Food in October 2015. She continued to be a judge for four more seasons. She also appeared as a guest in the seventh season.
In 2023, Maggie Beer started filming a new ABC series in Western Australia. This show, called Maggie Beer's Big Mission, is about making food and dining better for people in aged care homes. It is expected to be released in 2024.
Writing Cookbooks
Maggie Beer has written many books about food and how to prepare it. She also wrote a book with another well-known cook and food writer, Stephanie Alexander. One of their books, Stephanie Alexander and Maggie Beer's Tuscan Cook, has been translated into five different languages. In 2012, she was on the show Who Do You Think You Are?. This show explores people's family histories.
Awards and Recognition
Maggie Beer has received many awards for her work.
- In 1997, she was named the Telstra South Australian Business Woman of the Year.
- On January 1, 2001, she received the Centenary Medal. This was for her contributions to Australian society through cooking and writing.
- In 2008, her book Maggie's Harvest won the Australian Publishers Association's Illustrated Book of the Year award.
- She was awarded "Senior Australian of the Year" in 2010.
- In 2012, Maggie Beer was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). This honor was for her service to tourism and hospitality. It also recognized her work as a cook, restaurant owner, and author. She was also honored for promoting Australian food.
- In April 2016, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of South Australia. This was to recognize her achievements in tourism and hospitality. It also honored her work in promoting Australian produce and cuisine.
- In 2022, Maggie Beer was promoted to Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). This was for her outstanding service to the tourism and hospitality industries. It also recognized her work as a cook, restaurant owner, and author, and for her efforts in aged care welfare.
Maggie Beer's Personal Life
Maggie Beer married Colin Beer on January 17, 1970. They own a cottage home in the Barossa Valley in South Australia. They have two daughters. Sadly, her elder daughter passed away suddenly in February 2020 at the age of 46.
Books by Maggie Beer
- Cooking With Verjuice
- Stephanie Alexander and Maggie Beer's Tuscan Cookbook
- Maggie's Table
- Maggie's Harvest
- Maggie's Kitchen
- Maggie's Orchard
- Maggie's Christmas
- Maggie's Farm
- Maggie's Verjuice Cookbook
- Winter Harvest
- Maggie's Recipe For Life
See also
