Mary Berry’s new TV show takes her out of the kitchen and into more unusual places, like the cricket pitch.
“Had a great time. Went to Edgbaston [the Birmingham cricket ground] It was great talking to Jonny Bairstow. I think I brought him luck,” the 87-year-old says cheekily.
Berry feels at home at the cricket club, watching her husband and children play over the years, making lots of tea on the way. Family is a central thread in her new six-part cooking show, Cook And Share.
Each episode takes the former Great British Bake Off judge to new locations across the UK where she has personal connections. One is for her to travel to Bristol. This was her weekend visit when growing up in nearby Bath, and it was also where she got her first job after college.
“I have a granddaughter who is in college there and was happy to be back in Bristol,” says Berry.
It was also where her youngest son William attended college. He died in a car accident when he was 19 years old. During her travels, she visits his memorial there.
Berry finds the city has changed a lot since her youth.
“There’s something new happening in Bristol,” she says.
“There’s an area I’ve visited near the docks, and all over the bank are these shipping containers. They’re all individuals doing specific things, and they carry a lot of food and accessories.” The council made them very reasonable to rent out.People have their own shops and people go to buy their own shops. [items], or have another food. It’s really nice and a different place for tourists. ”
And a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, my mother’s hometown.
“I started my marathon there,” Berry said, quickly adding that he didn’t actually run the full 26.2 miles. Instead, she was on hand to service runners after they completed their route.
In another episode, Berry helps cater for a wedding attended by 400 guests.
“I knew nothing about Indian weddings. It was absolutely amazing – the groom came on a white horse and dressed up. “She was wearing this gorgeous dress with her shoes — Jimmy Choo wore heels so high that later you could see her walking barefoot.” I found the
“The menu was Indian-inspired and very delicious. It was very different from our wedding. day to day”
It was certainly a new experience for a seasoned chef, and it reminded me of my own wedding more than 50 years ago.
She married Paul Hannings at her home in Bath and had three children (Thomas, Annabel and William) and five grandchildren.
Comparing it to the extravagant parties she helped cater, Berry said: We got married at 2 o’clock and went back to my parents’ house for tea. It was a delicious sandwich, raspberries and cream. When 5 o’clock comes, we will go on our honeymoon. No parties these nights. It didn’t last for days. ”
Still, Berry can still see similarities between the two weddings. “Food brings everyone together,” she says simply. “So the better the food, the more they enjoy it.”
As we speak, Berry is looking forward to the show’s next adventure. Go to the Wilderness Festival. But make no mistake, this isn’t Berry’s first music festival.
“I went to Camp Bestival where I played drums,” she says, remembering when she was on stage with Rick Astley in 2018.
She especially enjoys the wilderness atmosphere. Because it’s all about food and music.
she said: It’s all about the food and I’m looking forward to meeting all the people who make it.
Berry is committed to expanding her horizons, and at Wilderness she learns from Swedish chef Niklas Eckstedt, who has inspired her.
“He cooks with fire, which is very interesting,” says Berry. “He actually bakes bread over charcoal and has a restaurant in Sweden where there are a lot of people who like different cooking methods.”
A common theme in this series is sharing food. The show runs as a companion to her new cookbook of the same name, and Berry is all too familiar with how our approach to food has changed over the years.
“Eating at home has changed.
She’s certainly sharing a lot of food for her new show.
Mary Berry – Cook And Share starts on BBC Two on Wednesday 7th September
