Shropshire Star

Mary Berry In Conversation, Birmingham Town Hall - review

Perhaps best known as a judge on the BBC's Great British Bake Off programme, Mary Berry took to the stage at Birmingham's Town Hall last night for an In Conversation event in promotion of her new book 'Mary Berry Everyday'.

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Led by food writer Xanthe Clay, Mary spoke candidly about her life and the new book as well as offering a chance for audience members to ask questions to the culinary guru.

Wearing an immaculate sparkling gold dress, she was animated and receptive to the large audience that had turned out to fill the Town Hall. Speaking of her reluctance towards school and education, Berry spoke on how she excelled through domestic science before moving to France to study at Le Corden Bleu, a top French gastronomic institution.

This then led to a move into magazines and eventually television work, before finding herself as a judge on the phenomenon that is the BBC's Great British Bake Off. Asked secrets of the tent, the nation's favourite baking expert spoke on how she wore hot water bottles under her jumper due to the freezing conditions during long days filming.

Berry also took the time to talk of other passions throughout her life such as the love for her husband and family as well as gardening and admiration of other culinary personalities such as Tom Kerridge and Raymond Blanc.

There were also plenty of anecdotes from throughout her long and varied career, as the television culinary icon spoke of how a French cookery trip for guests ended in disaster involving a dog, the floor and some pate. But as she was quick to point out, why shouldn't they still eat it as it is in fact their dog?

An enjoyable and educational evening, the nation's culinary sweetheart truly rose to the occasion and the fact that fans left with a copy of the latest book was just the icing on the cake.

By Dan Eark

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