Mary Berry British cookery author and television presenter Date of Birth: 24.03.1935 Country: Great Britain

Biography of Mary Berry

Mary-Rosa Alleyne Berry, a British author of cookbooks and television presenter, was born on March 24, 1935. She is the second of three children of Elaine Berry, who helped establish the University of Bath and served as the mayor of Bath in 1952, and Marjorie, a homemaker. At the age of 14, Mary was diagnosed with polio and spent three months in the hospital. This serious illness resulted in her spinal deformity and weaker left hand. However, Mary stated that during this forced separation from her loved ones, she became stronger and learned to maximize her abilities.

In school, Mary's academic performance was not remarkable until a new teacher recognized her culinary talent. She took home her first dish, a rich pudding, and her father remarked that it was as good as her mother's. After school, Mary attended cooking courses at the Bath College of Domestic Science. She started her career at the Bath Electricity Board, demonstrating how to use eclectic ovens to customers in their homes. She longed to leave her hometown and move to London, but her well-mannered parents insisted she wait until she turned 21.

At the age of 22, Mary joined the Dutch Dairy Bureau and attended educational courses in the evenings through the City & Guilds program. She later convinced her manager to sponsor her education at Le Cordon Bleu, a French school of hotel management and culinary arts. In France, Mary experienced a cultural shock and could not hold back tears when her first dish included rabbit meat, reminding her of a pet pony she left behind in Bath.

Working at Benson's PR firm, Mary began testing recipes and started writing her first book. In 1966, she became the editor of the magazine "Housewife" and married Paul J M Hunnings, a former antique book salesman. From 1970 to 1973, Mary worked as the editor of "Ideal Home" magazine. Her first cookbook, "The Hamlyn All Colour Cookbook," was published in 1970. In collaboration with her daughter Annabel, Mary launched her own line of products in 1994. Initially, their salad dressings and sauces were sold only in culinary schools, but they eventually expanded to international markets, including Britain, Germany, and Ireland. Their products were stocked in department stores and grocery shops, including Harrods, Fortnum & Mason, and Tesco.

Since 2010, Mary has been a judge on the British competition show "The Great British Bake Off," alongside Paul Hollywood, a bread expert. Mary has mentioned that she has learned a lot from this renowned chef. However, some viewers were upset when contestants were given Hollywood's recipe instead of Mary's during one of the early episodes of the show. Mary also participated in another television competition, "The Great British Food Revival," where chefs and food enthusiasts promoted British cuisine.

In her own kitchen, Mary uses a KitchenAid mixer, considering it one of the essential devices she cannot live without. She prefers cooking on AGA stoves, invented by Gustaf Dalén. Mary's son Thomas became an arborist, specializing in tree work. Her daughter Annabel has been assisting Mary with her business since she was 17 and now also produces their signature salad dressing. Sadly, Mary and her husband Paul lost their son William in a car accident when he was 19. They have two dogs, Millie and Coco, as part of their family.