Maggie Beer's Birthday Message for Stephanie

I met Stephanie in 1984 and was at first overawed by her reputation; her intelligence; her commitment to excellence in the eponymous Stephanie’s that bordered on the exotic in comparison with my simple country restaurant, until I understood her deep commitment to sharing knowledge. From the day she offered me the chance to come to Melbourne and be a ‘fly on the wall’ to see how everything ticked, she became the most generous and loyal friend.

When I look back at all she has achieved you first must look at her as a trailblazer.

Take Stephanie’s – the grandeur of the building, the sumptuous but comfortable dining rooms; the seeking out of the best ingredients both locally and Australia-wide of producers so proud to have their food on her menu that so often set them on a path of being not only artisanal but most importantly viable too. The stable of chefs who worked at Stephanie’s and went on to do amazing things of their own is like a who’s who of the Australian culinary scene.

And yet, it’s her vision, drive and determination in founding the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation that has led to hundreds of thousands of children in around 2000 schools and services across Australia to have access to the understanding and the joy of gardening and cooking and composting too. To switch on that interest and delight in food at such a young age can indeed change not only a child’s life but, often, the influence of an enthusiastic child experiencing new tastes and the adventure of gardening and the fun in all this, can and does change lives of the whole family.

So to Stephanie, my visionary friend, a very happy 80^th birthday, with my love, Maggie.

There is only one Stephanie and I’m proud to be her friend!