Maggie Beer – our 1MW Woman of the moment

Our Woman of the moment this week is the legendary Maggie Beer, a self-taught cook, food author, restaurateur and food producer.

Maggie Beer

1. Describe yourself in 3 words?

Passionate, determined, constantly percolating ideas

2. What are you doing at the present?

Working on new ice cream flavours!    Working on how to make food truly important for those  in aged care  without a voice….indeed choice.

3. What inspires you?

Music;  and singing;   and what it does for the soul….but also solving a problem with lateral thinking.

Maggie in the orchard

4. Is there an experience or time that has truly changed the way you live?

Being able to grow my own food. It was my very first mission after moving to the Barossa and being inspired by the bounty of incredible produce around me.

5. Do you have a message or a tip for the 1 Million Women community about how to live by the principle that ‘less equals more?

Shop and be seduced by what looks the freshest, the most vibrant and then find a good recipe to follow if unsure of how to cook it. That way your food will be at the peak of its season, at its most affordable, and most of all full of flavour. The next step is to keep it simple. Good produce needs so little doing to it, so don’t overcomplicate things. Follow the principle that less is more… the more being your enjoyment in sharing your table, and having everyone in the family involved.

Maggie’s farm shop

Maggie Beer specialty – Ice cream

A bit more: Maggie Beer and husband Colin settled in the Barossa Valley in 1973, with the intention of breeding game birds and growing grapes. The establishment of their farm led to the now legendary Pheasant Farm Restaurant. The restaurant became highly acclaimed and was, in 1991, awarded the Remy Martin Cognac/Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant of the Year award.

With the closure of the restaurant in 1993, Maggie was free to pursue new directions, and in 1996 the Export Kitchen in Tanunda was opened. These days, her career spans farming, food production, as well as television presenting and food writing. Maggie’s appearance on the hit ABC programme The Cook & The Chef cemented her place as one of Australia’s most well known food personalities, and her line of products is arguably the most highly esteemed and much loved range for Australian gourmets.

• Woman of the moment is a new section on the 1 Million Women Blog. We will be featuring ambassadors from our campaign with you, their stories, and why they inspire us.