What Maggie Beer Foundation does

The Maggie Beer Foundation is an Australian registered charity established in 2014 and headquartered at SAHMRI in Adelaide, South Australia. Founded by celebrity chef Maggie Beer AO, the foundation's stated mission is to improve food, nutrition, and dining experiences for older Australians in aged care, responding to documented food quality failures exposed by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. It operates as a non-profit education provider funded primarily by the Australian Federal Government's Department of Health and Aged Care.

The foundation's core product is a curriculum of online training modules delivered through a proprietary Learning Management System (lms.maggiebeerfoundation.org.au), supplemented by face-to-face masterclasses and State & Territory Practical Hubs across Australia. The initial 11 modules were co-developed in 2022 with Altura Learning and William Angliss Institute, and the catalog has expanded to 17+ modules across residential and community categories, covering topics such as texture-modified food, finger food, food presentation, dining experience, and culturally safe care. A moderated Professional Community forum provides trained alumni with access to over 200 aged care recipes and ongoing peer support.

The business model is government-grant-funded and free at the point of use for aged care providers, cooks, chefs, and kitchenhands. Historically, initial modules were sold at AUD $43.95 per module, but current delivery is fully subsidized. Revenue concentration on a single government funder represents the principal operational risk, while the November 2025 commencement of the new Aged Care Act and strengthened Standards creates regulatory demand for the foundation's training programs.

Name

Maggie Beer Foundation

Legal name

Maggie Beer Foundation

Website

https://maggiebeerfoundation.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Maggie Beer Foundation is an Australian non-profit charity that delivers free online and face-to-face training modules, masterclasses, and recipe resources to cooks, chefs, and providers serving older Australians in residential and home-delivered aged care.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aged Care Education and Training

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Caregiver Support & Education Programs (Center-Based) (HSABANAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Caregiver Coaching, Education & Support (HSABAIAI), Meal Preparation & Nutrition Support (Non-Medical) (HSABAAAC), Senior Social Clubs & Community-Based Day Programs (Non-Clinical) (HSABANAK)

Keywords

• Aged care training
• Food service education
• Nutrition programs
• Culinary training
• Healthcare workforce development

Headquarters

HQ city

Adelaide

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grant Funding: The Maggie Beer Foundation is funded by the Australian Federal Government's Department of Health and Aged Care to deliver education and training programs to improve dining, food, and nutritional outcomes for older people in Aged Care. All training activities and programs are provided free of charge.
2. Module Sales (Historical): Initial 11 online training modules were priced at $43.95 per module, with proceeds supporting development of additional modules and Professional Community Moderator. Current modules appear to be free.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Maggie Beer Foundation delivers free education and training programs to improve dining, food, and nutritional outcomes for older people in Australian aged care. It operates an online Learning Management System (LMS) with video-based training modules for cooks and chefs, runs face-to-face masterclasses and practical cooking hubs across Australian states and territories, and hosts a moderated Professional Community forum with access to over 200 aged care recipes. All programs are provided free of charge, funded by the Australian Federal Government's Department of Health and Aged Care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HomePlate Project: A project led by Clare Fargher focused on improving food in aged care
• Creating an Appetite for Life
• Improving Food in Aged Care through Education and Training

Products and services

• Online Training Modules for Aged Care Self-paced video-based online training modules covering aged care food preparation topics, accessible 24/7 through the foundation's LMS platform. Designed for aged care cooks, chefs, kitchenhands, and providers across Australia; provided free of charge.
• Professional Community Forum Moderated online forum for training alumni providing ongoing peer support, access to over 200 aged care recipes with ingredients, method, equipment, cost and nutritional profiles, and professional development discussion.
• Community Meals Pilot Training Program Pilot training program for community and home-delivered meal providers covering flavour, nutrition, presentation, and client connection. Designed for organisations such as Meals on Wheels delivering meals to older Australians at home.
• Meals with Meaning Online Learning Module Professional development module supporting culturally safe, person-centred food and care for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in aged care. Developed with Mission Australia and cultural advisors.
• A Taste of Home Project National project developing authentic cultural recipes, practical tools, and resources for aged care kitchens serving older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
• State & Territory Hubs (Face-to-Face Masterclasses and Practical Training) Hands-on cooking masterclasses and practical training hubs delivered across Australian states and territories for aged care cooks, chefs, and providers. Provided free of charge, funded by government grants.
• Trainer Mentor Program Mentoring program supporting trainers delivering the foundation's aged care education curriculum across Australia.
• HomePlate Project Project led by Clare Fargher focused on improving food quality in aged care settings through research, advocacy, and educational initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• A Year Two evaluation by HealthConsult confirmed measurable improvements in food quality, nutrition, staff capability and resident wellbeing in residential aged care homes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Altura LearningcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2022Partnership to develop and distribute online training modules for aged care cooks and chefs. Altura Learning provides the platform for organization-wide module access. The collaboration leverages Altura's expertise in aged care sector training and their established learning platform infrastructure.
• William Angliss InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2022Collaborative partnership in developing the initial 11 online training modules for aged care food preparation. Contributed expertise in hospitality and culinary training to ensure industry-relevant content.
• TAFE SAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Professionalising Skills for Good Food in Aged Care project responding to the need for skilled chefs, cooks and kitchenhands in aged care. TAFE SA delivered bespoke training program supporting employees to build skills and gain formal recognition within existing qualifications.
• Mission AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Meals with Meaning module featuring Mission Australia's National Manager of Cultural Strategy and General Manager Aged Care. Contributed expertise in culturally safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• Professional Community AlumniminorOthersNetwork of alumni who have completed MBF education programs, providing ongoing peer support, recipe sharing, and professional development through moderated forum.
• Kalyra CommunitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSA Aged Care Provider of the Year hosting research project led by MBF in partnership with CSIRO and University of South Australia to measure impact of MBF food principles on resident emotional and physical wellbeing.
• SAHMRIminorOthersSouth Australian Health and Medical Research Institute hosts the Maggie Beer Foundation headquarters. Collaboration on The Cook and the Chief virtual cooking demonstration event.
• Flinders UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned Flinders University Aged Care Food and Nutrition Research Team to conduct nationwide survey on food satisfaction of residents, families and staff in residential aged care homes.
• CSIROminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and development partner in project with Kalyra Communities and University of South Australia studying MBF food principles impact on aged care resident wellbeing.
• HealthConsult Pty LtdminorOthersIndependent evaluator commissioned to conduct Year Two program evaluation confirming measurable improvements in food quality, nutrition, staff capability and resident wellbeing in residential aged care homes.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Foodbank Australia: National food charity addressing hunger and food insecurity in Australia. Comparable thematically as a mission-aligned non-profit working on food access and nutrition outcomes, but focused on food relief rather than aged-care workforce training.
• SecondBite: Australian food rescue charity redistributing surplus food to community organisations including those serving older Australians. Adjacent ecosystem peer working on nutrition access for vulnerable populations including seniors, but not a direct training competitor.

Direct peers

• TAFE SA: South Australian vocational education provider that partnered with MBF on the Professionalising Skills for Good Food in Aged Care project. Comparable as a publicly-funded training organisation delivering formal culinary qualifications to the aged care workforce, sharing the same employer customers and cook/chef training mission.
• Nutrition Australia: National non-profit delivering nutrition education, training programs and resources across Australia, including for older adults and aged care settings. Comparable as a mission-aligned education charity working on healthy aging nutrition with similar training, advocacy and government-funded program models.
• Altura Learning: Australia-based aged care learning platform that co-developed and distributes the Maggie Beer Foundation's original 11 online training modules to aged care organisations. Directly comparable as a sector-specialised e-learning provider for the aged care workforce with overlapping curriculum and a shared customer base of residential aged care operators.
• William Angliss Institute: Specialist hospitality and culinary training institution that co-developed the foundation's original 11 modules with Altura Learning. Directly comparable as a vocational culinary training provider whose aged-care food curriculum overlaps MBF's, and whose alumni can substitute or complement MBF-trained cooks.
• Dementia Australia: National peak body providing education, training and advocacy for dementia care in Australia. Comparable because Dementia Australia delivers centre-based and online training programs (including Dementia-Friendly Care and dining-related modules) to aged care staff and family carers, serving the same training customer base as the Maggie Beer Foundation.

Broad incumbents

• Bolton Clarke: One of Australia's largest aged care and retirement living providers with internal training, nutrition and dining programs across its residential network. Comparable as a broad incumbent aged care operator whose in-house cook training and menu programs compete with and inform the foundation's curriculum.
• HammondCare: Large Australian aged care and dementia care provider operating residential homes with in-house chef and dining programs. Comparable as an incumbent aged care operator with proprietary food, dining and training programs that overlap the foundation's curriculum focus on dementia-friendly and culturally appropriate meals.
• Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission: Australian federal regulator responsible for accrediting aged care providers and assessing compliance with the strengthened Aged Care Standards (food is now a priority area from November 2025). Adjacent incumbent that shapes the compliance environment the foundation's training supports, but does not deliver training itself.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mbeerfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maggie-beer-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/maggie_beer_foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Maggie Beer Foundation