Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Maggie Beer is speaking from her home in the Barossa, where it’s very cold but the sun is shining brightly.
“We still have autumn colours so my pomegranate hedge and wisteria are that golden colour, the pear tree that’s as tall as an oak I’m looking out on is 160 years old – it’s just starting to lose some of its leaves, but there’s gold all around.” A self-confessed eternal optimist, Beer has been part of our lives for decades now, talking about the importance of fresh food and the joy of cooking, all while exuding a charm and warmth that make you feel like you know her. Chef, restaurateur, author and advocate, she is a regular on MasterChef and was a judge on The Great Australian Bake Off , alongside chef Matt Moran for five seasons.
Pairing her with Simon Bryant, head chef at the Hilton in Adelaide, in the long-running ABC program The Cook and the Chef was inspired. Beer outside her Barossa Valley home in 2014. Credit: David Mariuz We have her to thank for offerings such as quince paste, pheasant and verjuice, all of which were particular passions inspired by her farm produce.
She credits growing up with hard-working parents in western Sydney with instilling her strong work ethic, and the move to the Barossa Valley with husband Colin with forging .
