Mary Berry's Fantastic Feasts sees Dame Mary Berry help three more novice cooks create scrumptious food in her BBC programme.
Last December, cooking guru Mary helped three hopeless non-cooks create special Christmas meals for their loved ones in Mary Berry's Festive Feasts.
Now she's back helping three more total beginners who don't know their sieves from their scales.
Mary says, "I'm going to be helping them surprise a loved one or say a big thank you to a special person. I teach them a selection of achievable and impressive dishes that will wow their families, friends, or workmates, which they can then practice at home before putting it all together on the day. Teaching cookery is a huge passion of mine, it’s in my DNA, so I want to share my knowledge and encourage beginner cooks."
Here we tell you everything you need to know about Mary Berry's Fantastic Feasts...
'Mary Berry's Fantastic Feasts' air date
Mary Berry’s Fantastic Feasts is on Wednesday, March 9 at 8pm on BBC1. After its initial release date the show will then become available on streaming service BBCiPlayer.
Who is Dame Mary going to be helping in 'Mary Berry's Fantastic Feasts'?
The three people Mary is helping this time are good pals from Cardiff; firefighter Mark who has never followed a recipe before. Youth worker Callum, who says his nan does most of the cooking and boxing instructor Thaer who once had to throw a pot away because he'd burnt it so badly.
Mary says, "There is absolutely no doubt the men are very novice cooks. Thaer’s greatest culinary achievement is a sandwich with banana sprinkled with sugar!"
Who are the men wanting to surprise with their 'Fantastic Feast'?
The men want to whip up a surprise culinary treat for their good friend Soraya who has helped them all in the past and is a pillar of their local community.
"They all want to give back to Soraya who has done such a lot to help them all", says Mary. "Soraya sadly had breast cancer a few years ago, but once she got through it, she set up a youth charity and now helps hundreds of young people who are struggling to find some focus in life."
What special meal are the men going to surprise Soraya with and what's on the menu?
They're going to be making a very special afternoon tea for Soraya in the beautiful setting of Langley Hall, near Cardiff.
Mary says, "I'm teaching them how to make mini-scones which will be served with clotted cream and strawberry jam, savoury pepper, cheese and chive tartlets and a four tier clementine cake with buttercream."
How did their first cookery lesson at Mary's house go and were there any disasters in Mary's kitchen?
They all put in plenty of effort and took it very seriously. Mary says, "Mark is a firefighter and he took great care, his tartlets were very good. Callum got in a bit of muddle with his recipe and his scones didn’t rise. Thaer was doing the showstopper clementine cake. You’ll have to watch and see how it turns out. They were very anxious as they really wanted Soraya to be proud of them."
Mary is going to have some help from two celebrities, presenter Roman Kemp and 'Celebs Go Dating' star Tom Read Wilson. What are they getting up to?
Roman Kemp is despatched by Mary to go and source the perfect tea for the surprise meal while Tom Read Wilson is on strawberry jam duty.
Mary says, "Roman and Tom are hilarious, a couple of comedians who really spark off each other. Roman, can you believe, has never had a cup of tea so I was really mean and asked him to go and choose the tea for the tea party. He didn’t really know what he was doing but he got good advice and brought some wonderful tea back. Tom’s mission was to find the best strawberry jam so I sent him off to the local WI to learn how to make jam. He was in his element and says he wants to join the WI now."
Does Mary have any special feasts coming up in her own life?
Yes she does! Mary says, "My husband (retired antiquarian bookseller Paul Hunnings) has a special birthday this month and we're having a family lunch to celebrate. I'm doing one course, our daughter Annabel is doing the main course, and our daughter-in-law is doing another course. I think if you've got a special occasion to cook for its lovely to do one course each and share it. It's a lovely present!"
What else does Mary have coming up in 2022?
The former Great British Bake Off judge is going to be casting her expert eye on some fantastic puddings as she puts her judging hat on again.
Mary says, "I'm looking forward to the celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the Queen's reign this year and judging the Platinum Pudding Competition (a nationwide competition to find a dish fit for royalty). How exciting!"
Mary Berry's Fantastic Feasts will air on Wednesday, March 9 at 8pm on BBC1.
