‘We all need a hug in a pan'

Mary Berry on how her travels inspired a heart-warming new series

- Elaine Reilly

MARY BERRY’S SIMPLE COMFORTS

NEW WEDNESDAY / BBC2 / 8PM / EP 1 of 6 / COOKERY

At 85 years young, Mary Berry shows no signs of slowing down. Last autumn, the ‘queen of cakes’ and former judge of The Great British Bake Off set off on a whirlwind culinary odyssey that involved her sampling new dishes and trying out a host of exciting activities.

From making crêpes at a Parisian street stall to acting as coxswain for a rowing team on the River Thames, Mary proved more than ready and willing to embrace different experiences, often in very inclement weather!

Her adventures in the UK and abroad, along with the fuss-free, heart-warming dishes they inspired, are at the heart of her brand-new six-part series, Mary Berry’s Simple Comforts, which starts on BBC2 this week.

‘I can’t tell you how thrilling it was for me to have filmed this before lockdown. It’s so stimulating to do different things, which is what I love about this series,’ says Mary as she chats to TV Times.

‘I think what we all need now is a hug in a pan. This is the food that makes you feel that everything will be all right. It’s just the right thing to bring everybody back to a normal, happy family life.’

Here, Mary exclusively guides us through the series, sharing with us her personal highlights and revealing her favourite recipe from each episode…

FOOD SPECIAL

PARIS EPISODE 1

‘Things were very different when I was first in Paris. I was on my own, very young, very nervous and had to do everything for myself,’ recalls Mary, who trained at prestigious culinary institute Le Cordon Bleu in the late 1950s.