Mary Berry Recipes for Success

At the age of 13, Mary Berry contracted poliomyelitis and had to spend three months in hospital. This resulted in her having a twisted spine, a weaker left hand and thinner left arm. She has said that the period of forced separation from her family while in hospital “toughened her up” and taught her to make the most of every opportunity she would have.

She attended Bath High School, where she described her academic abilities as “hopeless” until she attended domestic science classes with a teacher called Miss Date, who was particularly encouraging of her cooking abilities. Her first creation in the class was a treacle sponge pudding which she took home, and her father told her that it was as good as her mother’s.

She then studied catering and institutional management at Bath College of Domestic Science.

In the swinging ’60s she became the cookery editor of Housewife magazine, followed by Ideal Home magazine.

In the 70’s her first television series Afternoon Plus with Judith Chalmers was a big hit with a lot of British mothers.

In the 80’s three children, writing books and filming television series for BBC from her home in Buckinghamshire.

In the ’90s launching her Aga Workshops, a cookery school at home, with over twelve thousand visitors over sixteen years.

Since 2000, more demonstrations, more writing books, more media work and most noteably judge on The Great British Bake Off.

In June 2009, Mary was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Guild of Food Writers.

2012, Mary was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to culinary arts.and given an honorary degree for her lifelong achievements in her field by Bath Spa University which incorporates the former Bath College of Domestic Science