Here at Maggie's, we're often asked how on earth Maggie manages to do all the amazing things she does, when there's only one of her, after all. We'll be the first to say we've never met a harder worker than Maggie, but she'll be the first to admit it's not a one (wo)man show. Maggie has the incredible ability to not only set herself an extremely high benchmark, but to also inspire that in the team that support her. So, in keeping with Maggie's philosophy, she's asked us to share her most recent take on all things Maggie Beer, in the hope it will answer some of those 'how does she do it' questions! First, inspired by the Barossa Valley’s abundance of fresh produce, Maggie Beer Products bases its reputation on Maggie’s own philosophy of using quality ingredients, in season, to produce the best niche gourmet products for the national and international markets. As Maggie explains, “We are so lucky to have access to the growers we do here in the Barossa, I don’t think it’s something that can be contrived. A strong food culture develops organically over time, based on the day-to-day lives of the people that make up the community. The Barossa has such a rich diversity of produce that it has naturally allowed and encouraged an ever-growing tapestry of food-based ventures, but all of them are steeped in a common history. That’s the key; there must be substance that sits behind what appears idyllic.” Taking every inspiration from the abundant surrounds of the Barossa and its Mediterranean climate, Maggie’s original food philosophy from all those years ago still stands today; to always cook from the heart, with ingredients at hand, never letting anything go to waste. This is the basis that underpins all that Maggie did then, and all that Maggie does now. Of course things have developed quite a bit since those early days of peaches arriving by the ute-full at the Farm Shop, and the pate being made in 10kg batches. With Maggie’s lateral thinking, she allowed the space for a highly successful production practice to develop her ever-growing range; with products beginning in the seasonal kitchen at the Farm Shop, proving themselves there with direct feedback from customers, before moving to the purpose built Export Kitchen where the same small scale care can take place with larger volumes. There are also products that have proven their success beyond the measure of what the Export Kitchen can produce, encouraging Maggie to seek partnerships with specialist producers that meet the same exacting standards that each and every part of Maggie’s range carries. Whether a search is prompted by a need for specialised equipment or particular expertise, the partnering process always starts as close to home as possible as Maggie is absolutely passionate about promoting not only the produce of her home state of South Australia, but also the producers themselves; local or interstate, producers are chosen on their merit as a priority. These partnerships are such a bolster to both parties, allowing new information to be shared and better ways of doing things to be discovered. As with everything Maggie does, flavour drives the end result and with that in mind there are equal parts applied research and serendipity with the partners Maggie creates with. A win, win for everyone - especially those on the ‘eating’ end of the deal Finding the partners is not an easy matter and has at times taken years and when this occurs, it is a true partnership in every sense of the word, intimately linked with Maggie’s team every step of the way. Regardless of whether your first taste of Maggie’s range is from the seasonal kitchen at the Farm Shop, or one of her delicious ice creams created in partnership with specialist producers, you’ll be enjoying the very essence of why Maggie does what she does, the inspiration she draws from the Barossa and its heritage of time honoured preserving and harvesting, and the reason so many recognise Maggie herself as a Barossa food tradition.
