Maggie Beer is famous for her food philosophy and the Barossa is the place she is best known for her exploits. What began humbly as a small restaurant evolved over time and now is known as the “Farm Shop”. It is basically a delicatessen for her provisions, as well as offering an array of dishes in a café style setting.

We are here momentarily for dessert having snacked on a platter for lunch nearby at Peter Lehmann. The setting is pleasant around the small man-made reservoir on a beautiful but cool winter’s day. In the café you sit amongst the provisions, which turn the interior into an interesting space to browse through.

While the slices and cakes on display look great, as we browse we are pointed towards the dessert specials by the staff. The two specials are highly recommended, and they are incredibly cheap. We cannot resist.

The philosophy here is simple flavoursome food using the best seasonal ingredients. For a time the previous restaurant only served geese that had been grown on the property. We share the apricot crumble and the fruit cake with brandy sauce. Both are delicious; made with excellent technique, and focussing on exquisite ingredients. The brandy sauce is available for purchase and we did just that.

As we left I had a chance to read some of the snippets of information about this wonderful place. There is so much passion in what Maggie (and her husband) has created and her impact on the Barossa, and Australia, is immense.