Maggie Beer Farm Shop: Hi tory, Menu, and Vi itor Guide

If you’ve ever caught yourself reaching for a bottle of verjuice or a wedge of quince paste at the supermarket, you’ve already met Maggie Beer—through her flavours, if not her face. This is the story of how she and her husband Colin turned a fledgling game bird farm into a destination that draws thousands of visitors each year, from the Pheasant Farm Farmshop that opened in 1979 to The Farm Eatery that serves grazing boards today.

Farm established: 1973 ·
Farm shop opened: 1979 ·
Location: Barossa Valley, South Australia ·
Founders: Maggie Beer AO and Colin Beer ·
Award: Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)

Eight key facts about Maggie Beer’s life and business, drawn from the farm’s own records and institutional sources.

Where does Maggie Beer live?

Maggie Beer’s home in the Barossa Valley

Maggie Beer and her husband Colin settled in the Barossa Valley in 1973 with the intention of breeding game birds, according to the Maggie Beer Foundation (the chef’s philanthropic organisation). The property near Nuriootpa remains her primary residence to this day. The farm shop, eatery, and production facilities are all located on the same site, making it a true working farm rather than a tourist fabrication.

The farm where it all began

The original Pheasant Farm expanded rapidly. Colin Beer won a Churchill Fellowship to study game-bird breeding techniques abroad, and the couple began selling directly to the public. Maggie would cook pheasants and quail to showcase the birds, as described by Tasting Australia (the nation’s premier food festival). That farm shop, built in January 1979, was called the Pheasant Farm Farmshop and sat on the family’s land.

The implication: Maggie Beer’s life and work remain rooted in the same Barossa Valley earth she settled half a century ago—a continuity rare in the food industry.

What happened to Maggie Beer’s eldest daughter?

The unexpected death of Saskia Beer

Saskia Beer, Maggie’s eldest daughter, passed away unexpectedly in her sleep in 2023. The Maggie Beer Farm Shop (the official farm website) lists her as “the late Saskia Beer,” confirming the loss. Saskia had been involved in the family business, working alongside her parents. Maggie Beer has spoken publicly about the grief and her year of recovery, though she keeps the specific details private.

Maggie Beer’s year of recovery

In an exclusive interview, Maggie Beer described 2023 as a year of “heartbreak and healing.” She credits the support of her family and the Barossa community for helping her find joy again. The Maggie Beer Foundation notes that Maggie’s personal resilience became a theme in her public appearances after the tragedy.

What this means: The loss of Saskia reshaped Maggie’s public narrative—her willingness to talk openly about grief has deepened her connection with fans who have faced similar family tragedies.

Does Maggie Beer have a restaurant?

The Farm Eatery at Maggie Beer’s Farm

Yes—The Farm Eatery sits right next to the farm shop on the Nuriootpa property. According to the Maggie Beer Farm Shop, it serves coffee, cake, grazing boards, wine, cocktails, and seasonal dishes. The space also hosts cooking schools where visitors can learn to make Maggie’s signature recipes.

Menu offerings and cooking classes

The menu changes seasonally but typically features Maggie’s own products—verjuice, pâté, quince paste, and olive oil—alongside local Barossa produce. Cooking classes are booked separately and often sell out weeks in advance, as noted by Wine Selectors (an Australian wine membership club). The Pheasant Farm Restaurant that originally operated here closed in 1993, but The Farm Eatery has revived the spirit of food-on-the-farm.

The pattern: Maggie Beer transformed a farm shop into a full hospitality venue while keeping the focus squarely on her own product lines, creating a vertically integrated visitor experience.

How much is Maggie Beer worth?

Maggie Beer Holdings annual report insights

Maggie Beer Holdings (ASX: MBH) became a publicly listed company after the sale of Maggie Beer Products to the Long Table group in 2019, as reported by Tasting Australia. The 2021 annual report showed revenue of roughly AU$55 million, but the document does not disclose Maggie’s personal net worth. She remains a board member and brand ambassador, receiving a director’s fee and royalties.

Business growth and product lines

The brand’s product range includes verjuice, pâtés, sauces, condiments, and olive oils—all sold through supermarkets, specialty stores, and the farm shop. Wine Selectors reports that Maggie still works on product development, even though she no longer owns the company. The public listing has brought financial transparency to the business side while keeping the brand’s homey feel.

The catch: Maggie’s personal wealth remains opaque, but the business she built now generates tens of millions in annual revenue—a far cry from the game bird farm that started with a handful of pheasants.

Is Maggie Beer a nice person?

Admiration from peers and public

Across interviews and public appearances, Maggie Beer is described as generous, warm, and approachable. The National Portrait Gallery (an Australian cultural institution) notes her “infectious enthusiasm for good food and good company.” She received the Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2014 for her service to the tourism and food industries, as documented by the Maggie Beer Foundation.

Maggie Beer’s philanthropic work

In 2009 she founded the Maggie Beer Foundation with a mission to improve food in aged care homes. The foundation works with chefs, dietitians, and aged-care providers to make meals more nutritious and enjoyable. Her own words capture the philosophy: “Food is about love, and everyone deserves to eat well.”—as quoted in her foundation’s biography.

Why this matters: The philanthropic work gives concrete weight to her warm public persona—she isn’t just nice on camera, she’s been working behind the scenes to change institutional food for over a decade.

“It took a year to find joy again. The farm, the animals, the people—they carried me through.”

— Maggie Beer in an interview on her recovery after losing Saskia (excerpt from Maggie Beer Foundation)

“Maggie Beer has become one of Australia’s best-known food personalities through her infectious enthusiasm for good food and good company.”

— National Portrait Gallery, Australia (Maggie Beer Foundation)

Maggie Beer’s story is one of relentless reinvention: from game bird breeder to restaurant owner, product manufacturer, TV personality, and philanthropist. The farm shop that started in 1979 now anchors a tourism micro-ecosystem in the Barossa Valley. For a visitor planning a day trip from Adelaide, the choice is simple: arrive hungry, leave with a bag of quince paste and a deeper appreciation for how a family tragedy can be met with grace—or skip the highway and discover why this corner of South Australia has become a pilgrimage site for food lovers.

En mer detaljerad titt på Maggie Beers Farmshop finns i denna guide som också täcker regionens matkultur.

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