Beerenberg
A Historic Journey from Prussia to South Australia
The story of Beerenberg is closely tied to the history of German migration to Australia. In 1839, Johann George Paech and his wife Anna Rosina, together with their five children, emigrated from Prussia to South Australia as part of a larger migration group consisting of 52 families. Prussia, once one of the most influential kingdoms and major powers in Central European history, played a crucial role in the unification of Germany in 1871. Following the end of World War II, Prussia was officially dissolved, with most of its former territory
becoming part of present-day Germany, Poland, and Russia. After crossing the ocean from Prussia to South Australia, the Paech family settled in the Adelaide Hills and helped establish a village named “Hahndorf,” after the captain of the ship that carried them there. In this village, the Paech family purchased land and began farming, naming their property “Paechtown.” From that point onward, the family continuously cultivated the same land without interruption, passing agricultural traditions down through generations.
From Dairy Farming to the First Jar of Strawberry Jam
For more than a century, the Paech family engaged in various forms of agriculture, including dairy farming. A major turning point came during the 1970s when Grant Paech and his wife Carol took over the family farm. At the time, traditional farming faced increasing uncertainty due to fluctuating agricultural prices. Seeking new ways to add value to their land, Grant and Carol decided to experiment with growing strawberries in 1970.
Grant built a corrugated iron roadside shed and began selling fresh strawberries to passing travelers. However, two years later, the family faced a major challenge: market oversupply during harvest season. Since strawberries have a short shelf life, unsold fruit would quickly spoil and result in financial losses. This inspired Carol to transform surplus strawberries into homemade strawberry jam using a secret family recipe that had been passed down through generations.
The Birth of "Berry Hill" and Agritourism Innovation
Their first batches of strawberry jam were made on the stove in their own home. They named the brand “Beerenberg,” a German word meaning “berry hill,” reflecting both the fertile hillside landscape of the farm and their primary agricultural produce. The name was officially trademarked in 1974. The first jars of jam were sold on a wooden table outside the farm, accompanied by signs inviting passersby to stop and taste them.
Thanks to its rich flavor, authentic fruit aroma, and preservative-free recipe, Beerenberg jam quickly gained a strong reputation within the local community. In 1975, Grant and Carol introduced an innovative concept previously unseen in the region: “pick-your-own strawberries.” Visitors and locals were invited to tour the farm and harvest strawberries themselves. The idea proved to be enormously successful, rapidly transforming Beerenberg into a popular tourist destination.
Expanding Production and Retail Horizons
The success of homemade jam convinced Grant and Carol that food processing offered greater long-term potential than selling fresh produce alone. They invested in a dedicated retail store and manufacturing facility built specifically for this purpose on the farm, while the original roadside shed was converted into a farm maintenance workshop. With the new factory established, the company expanded beyond strawberry jam into jams made from other fruits, along with sauces, marinades, and mustards. Their products soon found shelf space in supermarkets and became one of South Australia’s most sought-after souvenirs for visitors.Taking Australian Jam to Global Skies
Another major turning point arrived in 1986 when Grant came across a newspaper article stating that Qantas Airways was serving imported jam to First Class passengers. Believing Australian-made products deserved representation, he contacted Qantas and proposed Beerenberg strawberry jam as an alternative. Qantas accepted the offer. Shortly after Beerenberg appeared onboard a major international airline, purchase orders began arriving from global hotel chains such as Hilton, Marriott, and InterContinental, along with additional international airlines.
This marked the beginning of Beerenberg’s expansion into markets across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. In the 1990s, Grant refreshed the brand’s retail packaging to create a more premium image, drawing inspiration from the distinctive green-and-gold color palette associated with Melbourne’s famous Princes Bridge. The redesigned packaging helped establish a more sophisticated identity for the brand.
One of Beerenberg’s most successful strategies in entering hotel and airline markets was the development of “Mini Jars” — small single-serving portions of jam designed specifically for hotels, airlines, and cruise ships. This strategy proved highly successful. Today, Beerenberg products are served in more than 300 four- and five-star hotels throughout the Asia-Pacific region, as well as on many major airlines in both First and Business Class.
A New Generation: Revamping the Beerenberg Brand
As Grant and Carol approached retirement, the sixth generation of the Paech family — siblings Anthony, Sally, and Robert Paech — stepped in to lead the business. Each assumed responsibilities aligned with their expertise: Anthony became Managing Director, overseeing business operations and growth; Sally took charge of marketing and brand identity; while Robert focused on farming and agricultural production.
Under the leadership of the new generation, Beerenberg underwent a significant brand refresh in 2013 to better connect with modern consumers. Sally redesigned the labels to highlight “stories of people” — family members, friends, and employees. Each product featured names and short, warm, often humorous stories, such as whose favorite recipe inspired the jam or how a sauce complemented family meals. This transformation added emotional value and strengthened consumers’ sense of connection to the brand, making them feel like part of the Paech family story.
Sustainable Growth and Premier Culinary Tourism
Despite becoming an international business, Beerenberg has continued to maintain its headquarters and production base in Hahndorf, South Australia. The Paech family remains committed to supporting local communities by sourcing ingredients such as garlic, onions, tomatoes, and fruits from South Australian farmers whenever possible, helping distribute economic opportunities while maintaining ingredient freshness and quality.
In 2018, the company made a major investment of more than AUD 14 million to build a new manufacturing facility. The expansion increased production capacity to as many as 60,000 bottles per eight-hour shift and boosted total production by approximately 15 tonnes per shift.
In 2022, Beerenberg further enhanced its tourism experience by opening a modern visitor centre featuring a farm-style café, homemade ice cream shop, cooking demonstration areas, tasting spaces, an upgraded farm retail store, and private event venues. This development transformed the Beerenberg farm into one of South Australia’s premier culinary tourism destinations, attracting visitors from across Australia and around the world.
Honesty to Ingredients: The Beerenberg Philosophy
What truly distinguishes Beerenberg from competitors is its “honesty to ingredients.” The brand avoids artificial flavors, food coloring, and unnecessary additives, instead focusing on generous fruit content and high-quality natural ingredients sourced from South Australia.
Anthony Paech once described the company’s vision by saying, “Our mission is to enhance people’s quality of life through taste.” Meanwhile, Sally Paech explained, “When customers open a jar of Beerenberg, we want to take them back to a time when food was made from fresh ingredients and held real value — when strawberries truly tasted like strawberries.”
Today, Beerenberg exports products to 24 countries worldwide, including Malaysia, Japan, China, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Fiji, New Zealand, Thailand, Taiwan, the Netherlands, Mauritius, India, Vanuatu, the Maldives, and Brunei.
Beerenberg products are available at Rimping Supermarket.
