For fans of cooking and food television series, Maggie Beer is one of the best-loved celebrities to feature on their screens. The Australian cook, author, and businesswoman is known for her enigmatic personality, warm nature, and huge smile just as much as she is for her culinary talents. Although she is a well-known personality, especially in Australia, there are many facts about Maggie Beer that people do not know. Here are some Maggie Beer facts you might find interesting.
Maggie Beer Facts: Her Personal Life
Where Was Maggie Beer Born?
Maggie Beer, born Margaret Anne Ackerman, was born on 19th January 1945 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. She grew up in Sydney’s western suburbs. When her family faced bankruptcy, her parents started new careers as caterers, which inspired Beer’s passion for food and instilled a strong work ethic in her.
She Left School at 14
Although she is a very successful woman, it is down to Maggie Beer’s talents and hard work rather than her education. She did not complete her high school education as she chose to leave school at 14 so that she could work to help her family. Beer then worked in various positions, including an assistant to a geophysicist in Libya and a lift operator in New Zealand.
Is Maggie Beer Married?
Who is Maggie Beer’s husband? Maggie Beer married Colin Beer in January 1970. The couple lives in a cottage in the Barossa Valley in South Australia.
Does Maggie Beer Have Children?
Maggie Beer has two daughters, Saskia and Elli. Both her daughters followed Beer into the food industry. Sadly, her elder daughter, Saskia, died suddenly and unexpectedly in her sleep on Valentine’s Day, 2020.
Facts About Maggie Beer: Her Culinary Career
Is Maggie Beer a Trained Chef?
Maggie Beer had no training or formal qualifications as a chef, yet she has managed to forge a successful career in the food industry. Her only experience working in a professional kitchen before her own businesses was at a Scottish sailing school when she was in her 20s. The Australian cook says that her passion for food began as a child.
Beer Opened the Farm Shop in 1979
In 1979, Maggie Beer and her husband opened the Farm Shop in the Barossa Valley. It later expanded to become the Barossa Pheasant Farm Restaurant. Two of the specialities were the local pheasant and the Pheasant Farm Pate, which Beer still sells in her current shop. The restaurant won the Remy Martin Cognac- Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant of the Year Award in 1991. The restaurant closed in 1993, and Beer later became a partner in the Adelaide restaurant Charlick’s Feed Store.
She Has a Gourmet Food Store
Maggie Beer now has a gourmet food store, and some of the items on sale include the Pheasant Farm Pate, verjuice, gourmet ice creams, and quince paste.
She Had Her Own TV Series for Three Years
Maggie Beer co-hosted ‘The Cook and the Chef’ with Simon Bryant. The series, which was filmed in the Barossa Valley, first aired in February 2006 and ran for four seasons until September 2009.
Beer Has Appeared as a Guest Judge on MasterChef Australia
Maggie Beer became known to a wider audience when she appeared as a guest judge on MasterChef Australia alongside regular judges Matt Preston, George Calombaris, and Gary Mehigan. She appeared on the series on multiple occasions, including setting and judging challenges on the premises of her Barossa Valley business. Beer was also a judge on the second series of The Great Australian Bake Off alongside Australian chef Matt Moran.
She Has Written 11 Cookbooks
In addition to her television career, Maggie Beer is famous as a cookbook author. During her career, she has written 11 cookbooks, including Maggie’s Recipe for Life, Maggie’s Farm, Maggie’s Kitchen, and Maggie’s Table.
Other Maggie Beer Facts
She Has Won Multiple Awards and Honours
Throughout her successful career, Maggie Beer has received multiple awards and honours for her cooking, writing, and business. She received her first award, the Telstra South Australian Businesswoman of the Year, in 1997. Most recently, she was awarded the Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2022.
Beer is Known for her Rustic and Generous Cooking Style
Every chef has a cooking style, and Maggie Beer is known for her rustic and generous cooking style. While working for the Scottish sailing school, Beer used four months’ worth of pantry supplies in just eight weeks.
She Keeps Diaries of Her Food Experiences
In an interview with The Guardian, Maggie Beer said she keeps spiral notebooks in which she records all her great food experiences. She uses notebooks to record her memories of flavours and cultural influences, then uses them for inspiration.
Maggie Beer Appeared on ‘Who Do You Think You Are?
Maggie Beer was featured in a 2012 episode of ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’. Although Beer believed she had Jewish ancestors, the show revealed that her ancestors were Catholic. Beer also discovered that one of her ancestors was a convicted bigamist.
We hope you enjoyed reading our Maggie Beer facts and that they have given you an insight into the popular Australian cook.