Feature
Issue No. 37 - October/November 2007
IT factor key ingredient in Maggie Beer recipe
SA icon Maggie Beer stakes her reputation on a soulful, back-to-basics approach to food preparation and surprising flavour experience.
But recently, the rapidly expanding company found running business in an off-the-shelf way just wouldn’t support its international growth aspirations — so Maggie tried a different recipe.
Based in the heart of the Barossa Valley, the Maggie Beer brand is built on seasonal, fresh foods. Maggie has a simple philosophy - use great produce to make delectable dishes with creative instinct.
Her award-winning Pheasant Farm Restaurant opened in the early 1980s, but her firm’s food distribution business began in 1984 with one of the restaurant’s signature dishes, Pheasant Farm Paté. Selling both refrigerated and dry goods products the line continues to expand, as does the company at 20% to 25% per annum.
Maggie Beer products are in all Australian states. An accredited export kitchen built in 1996 now sends the Maggie Beer range to specialty food stores all over the globe.
There are plans to develop the core products into a much larger range but with a retail outlet and an international distribution business, further growth posed a significant challenge.
Claire Minogue, Finance and Administration Manager for Maggie Beer, saw the need to overhaul the software systems used to manage production and manufacturing logistics.
“We realised the tools and systems we were using lagged behind when ...
