Mary Berry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Berry
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Berry at the Chelsea Flower Show in May 2017
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| Born |
Mary Rosa Alleyne Berry
24 March 1935 Bath, Somerset, England
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| Other names | Mary, Queen of Cakes |
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| Occupation |
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| Television |
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| Spouse(s) |
Paul Hunnings
(m. 1966) |
| Children | 3 |
Dame Mary Berry is a famous English food writer, chef, and TV presenter. She is known for her amazing baking skills! She was born on March 24, 1935.
Mary loved cooking from a young age. She studied cooking in college and even went to a special cooking school in France when she was 22. She has written over 75 cookbooks, including her popular Baking Bible. Mary has also hosted many TV shows for the BBC. From 2010 to 2016, she was a judge on the popular show The Great British Bake Off.
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Mary Berry's Early Life
Mary Berry was born in Bath, England. She was the second of three children. Her father, Alleyne William Steward Berry, was a planner and even became the Mayor of Bath in 1952. Mary's great-great-grandfather was a master baker in the 1860s.
Overcoming Polio
When Mary was 13, she got a sickness called polio. She had to stay in the hospital for three months. This illness made her spine a bit twisted and her left arm weaker. Mary said that being away from her family in the hospital made her stronger. It taught her to make the most of every chance she got.
Discovering a Love for Cooking
Mary went to Bath High School. She felt she wasn't very good at school until she took cooking classes. Her teacher, Miss Date, really encouraged her. Mary's first dish in class was a treacle sponge pudding. She took it home, and her father said it was as good as her mother's! After high school, she studied catering at Bath College of Domestic Science.
Mary Berry's Career Journey
Mary's first job was at the Bath Electricity Board. She visited homes to show people how to use their new electric ovens. She often baked a Victoria sponge cake to demonstrate. She drove a small car to visit homes around Bath.
Moving to London and France
Mary wanted to move to London, but her parents said she had to wait until she was 21. At 22, she got a job at the Dutch Dairy Bureau. She also took evening classes. She convinced her boss to pay for her to study at the famous French Le Cordon Bleu cooking school.
Writing Cookbooks and TV Shows
After her studies, Mary became a recipe tester. This is where she started writing her first book. Her first cookbook, The Hamlyn All Colour Cookbook, came out in 1970. She also worked as a food editor for magazines like Housewife and Ideal Home.
In 1994, Mary started her own line of food products with her daughter, Annabel. These included salad dressings and sauces. They were first sold at Mary's cooking school and later in big stores.
Mary has appeared on many TV shows. She was on The Great British Food Revival and had her own show, Mary Berry Cooks. She also presented Mary Berry's Absolute Favourites and Mary Berry Everyday. In 2017, she explored stately homes and their food history in Mary Berry's Country House Secrets.
More recently, Mary has continued to share her cooking skills. She was a judge on Britain's Best Home Cook. In 2020, her series Mary Berry's Simple Comforts aired. She also helped people make Christmas feasts in Mary Berry Saves Christmas and Mary Berry's Festive Feasts. In 2022, she helped choose a special pudding for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Her latest shows include Mary Berry Cook And Share and Mary Makes It Easy.
The Great British Bake Off
From 2010 to 2016, Mary Berry was a judge on The Great British Bake Off. She judged alongside baker Paul Hollywood, who is known for his bread. Many people loved their partnership on the show.
In 2016, the show moved to a new TV channel. The hosts, Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, decided not to go with it. Mary Berry also announced she was leaving Bake Off. She was replaced by Prue Leith.
The Platinum Pudding Competition
In January 2022, Mary Berry was chosen to lead and judge The Platinum Pudding Competition. This was a baking competition across the United Kingdom. It was launched by Buckingham Palace to find a new pudding to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. This marked 70 years since she became Queen.
Mary Berry's Personal Life
Mary Berry married Paul John March Hunnings in 1966. They had two sons and one daughter. Sadly, one of their sons passed away in a car accident in 1989 when he was 19. Mary's mother lived to be 105 years old and passed away in 2011.
In 2018, Mary and her husband moved to Henley-on-Thames. They had lived in Penn, Buckinghamshire, for over 40 years before that. Mary is a member of the Church of England. She has been a supporter of Child Bereavement UK, a charity that helps families after a child dies.
Awards and Honours
Mary Berry has received many awards for her work in cooking.
- In 2009, she won the Guild of Food Writers Lifetime Achievement Award.
- In 2012, she was given a special honour called Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
- She also received an honorary degree from Bath Spa University.
- In 2014, she was given the Freedom of the City of Bath.
- She won the "Outstanding Achievement" prize at the Specsavers National Book Awards in 2014.
- In 2017, she won Best TV Judge at the National Television Awards for Great British Bake Off.
- In 2020, Mary Berry was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). This is a very high honour in the UK. She received this award in 2021 at Windsor Castle.
See also
In Spanish: Mary Berry para niños
