Who is Mary Berry?
Mary Berry (born Dame Mary Rosa Alleyne Hunnings) is a well-known English food writer, television presenter, baker, and chef. At the age of 22, she moved to France to study at Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, before working in a number of cooking-related jobs.
She has published more than 75 cookery jobs, including her best-selling Baking Bible in 2009. Her first book was in 1970, The Hamlyn All Colour Cookbook. She hosted several television series for the BBC and Thames Television. And is an occasional contributor to Woman’s Hour and Saturday Kitchen. On the television program, The Greatest British Bake Off, she was a judge until 2016.
How Old Is Mary Berry?
She is 88 years old as of March 2023, having been born on March 24, 1935, in Bath, Somerset, England. Mary Berry shares her birthdate with celebrities such as; Luke Nelson, Jack Johnson, The Undertaker, Amyah Bennett, and many more.
Mary Berry Family
Who are Mary Berry’s Parents?
She was born to Alleyne William Steward Berry (Father, who died in 1989) and Margaret Berry (Mother, who died in 2011). Her father was a surveyor and planner who served as Mayor of Bath in 1952 and was closely involved in the establishment of The University of Bath at Claverton Down. And her mother died in 2011 aged 105.
Does Mary Berry have Siblings?
She has two siblings by the name of William Berry and Roger Berry.
Mary Berry Education
She received her high school education at Royal High School Bath. After high school, she attended Bath College of Domestic Science where she studied catering. Then she attended Le Cordon Bleu.
Mary Berry’s Marital Status
She is married to the love of her life Paul J.M. Hunnings. Her husband worked for Harvey’s of Bristol and sold antique books and is now retired. They married in 1966.
Mary Berry Kids
She and her husband Paul Hunnings have three kids. Two sons by the name of Thomas Alleyne March (born in 1968) and William John March (born in 1969, but died in January 1989). And a daughter by the name of Annabel Mary March (born in 1970). Her son William died in a car accident aged 19.
Mary Berry Career
Her first job was at the Bath Electricity Board showroom and then conducting home visits to show new customers how to use their electric ovens. Her ambition was to move out of the family home to London. But her parents would not allow it until she was 21. At the age of 22, she applied to work at the Dutch Dairy Bureau while taking City & Guilds courses in the evenings. She then left the Dutch Dairy Bureau to become a recipe tester for PR firm Benson’s where she began to write her first book. In 1966, she became the food editor of Housewife magazine.
From 1970 to 1973, she was the food editor of Ideal Home magazine. In 1970, her first cookbook, The Hamlyn All Colour Cookbook was published. With her daughter Annabel, she launched her own product range in 1974. Also, she appeared on a BBC Two series called The Great British Food Revival, and her solo show, Mary Berry Cooks began airing on March 3, 2014. In December 2012, she became the first president of the new Bath Spa University Alumni Association. In February 2015, she featured in aid of the Third World charity Comic Relief.
That same year in May, she began presenting a new BBC Two series called Mary Berry’s Absolute Favourite. In November 2015, she was the subject of a two-part biographical documentary entitled The Mary Berry Story. Starting on November 30, 2015, she was one of the two judges for a four-week American edition of the popular baking competition, The Great Holiday Baking Show on ABC. In 2016, she became president of the National Garden Scheme.
Career Continuation
It was announced in November 2016, that she would present a new six-part series, Mary Berry Everyday. There, she would share her cooking tips, family favorites, and special occasion recipes. The show aired on BBC Two. In April 2017, she launched a series of cakes that could be bought from supermarkets. From November 22, 2017, to December 13, 2017, she presented a 4-part series called Mary Berry’s Country House Secrets on BBC One. In 2018, she was a judge on Britain’s Best Home Cook alongside chef Dan Doherty and Chris Bavin. In 2021, she was a celebrity judge on the BBC series Celebrity Best Home Cook. Alongside Angela Hartnett and Chris Bavin while Claudia Winkleman was the show’s presenter.
That same year in December, she presented Mary Berry’s Festive Feasts, a BBC Tv special. The following year, she was named one of the judges for the Platinum Pudding. BBC One aired the three-part series Mary Berry’s Fantastic Feasts in March 2022. In May 2022, she was a judge on the BBC One program The Jubilee Pudding: 70 Years in the Baking. In June 2022, the BBC commissioned the BBC Two series Mary Berry Cook And Share; which premiered in September 2022. The BBC commissioned Mary Berry’s Ultimate Christmas in September 2022. This is a Christmas special that Berry will present.
A Career at The Great British Bake Off
She was one of the judges on BBC One’s (formerly BBC Two’s) The Great British Bake Off from 2010 to 2016. Alongside baker Paul Hollywood who specializes in bread. Her work on the show with Hollywood led to The Guardian’s suggesting that it was the “best reality TV judging partnership ever”.Love Productions announced in September 2016 that a three-year deal to broadcast the show on Channel 4 instead of the BBC from 2017 had been agreed upon. That same day, she announced that she was also leaving the show after fellow judge Paul Hollywood announced that he would be staying with the show. She was replaced on the show by Prue Leith.
A Career at The Platinum Pudding Competition
It was announced in January 2022, that she would chair and sit as a judge on The Platinum Pudding competition. This is a nationwide baking competition launched throughout the United Kingdom on January 10, 2022, by Buckingham Palace, Fortnum & Mason, and The Big Jubilee Lunch. To find a brand new pudding dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II as part of the official Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022 marking the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952.
Publications
She has written more than 70 cookery books since her first book was published in 1970. And has sold over five million cookery books. Her best-selling book, Baking Bible was rated one of the ten best baking books by The Independent. Since September 2014, her recipes have also been packaged in an interactive mobile app called “Mary Berry: In Mary We Trust”. In 2013, her autobiography, Recipe for Life was published by Michael Joseph.
Mary Berry Height and Measurements
Adding up to her well-curved and beautiful body, she stands a height of 5ft 5 inches (1.65m) and a weight of 58kg (128 lbs).
Mary Berry’s Salary and Net Worth
She has a salary ranging from £190,000 to £199,999. And a net worth of $25 million.
