A national treasure was treated to a hearty dish in the Lake District fells this summer.
Harrison Ward, better known as Fell Foodie, cooked up a storm for non-other than Dame Mary Berry as the pair embarked on a day in the Lakes for Mary’s brand-new BBC Two show ‘Mary Berry: Love To Cook’
Mary Berry who trained at The Cordon Bleu in Paris and Bath School of Home Economics has written over 80 cookery books and continues to write each year to accompany her BBC television series.
Since the millennium Mary has continued to do demonstrations at the Good Food Show events, write books and be a prominent figure in the media. Most notably she has been a judge on The Great British Bake Off, The Junior Bake Off, Comic Relief Bake off and Sports Relief Bake Off from 2009 to 2016.
Fell Foodie was approached to host Mary in Cumbria after becoming a familiar face himself, Harrison opened up on social media back in 2018, about his struggles with obesity and alcohol addiction.
His words, talent, skills and openness have led him to become one of the Lakes best-known media personalities, columnists and content creators, regularly appearing at festivals, on TV and boasting tens of thousands of followers online.
Chatting ahead of the episode airing, Harrison said: “It gets harder to comprehend how my life used to be when moments like this happen. Five years ago I was on track to drinking myself into an early grace, penniless and with zero fitness to run for a bus let alone head up the hills. I was very proud to be able to share my story of battling depression, obesity and alcoholism on national television.
“I find it so important to talk about these things and if I can help one person by doing so it makes my struggles all the more worthwhile. I must admit though that I watered down some of the details as it felt a bit like I was having a conversation with my gran.
“It felt very comforting, especially as it was my Grananne that initially taught me to cook, beginning by baking a lot of cakes. I’m sure her and Mary would have got on well!
“It’s hard not to look up to Dame Mary Berry, her longevity and impact on the industry has been monumental. I think anyone in the food industry would love to have even a tenth of her success and legacy.
“She is like a British institution, it was an honour to be in her company,” says Harrison.
Talking about Mary’s trip up North to Cumbria, Harrison said she wasn’t short of praise for the county, “It was a pleasure to welcome her to the Lakes, I couldn’t quite believe she’d made the journey just to film with me for the day. Mary was full of praise for the views, the way of life and the Cumbrian spirit, she had very fond memories of previous trips.
“She couldn’t believe I was wearing shorts out on the hills and said, ‘those legs have done a few miles haven’t they’, to which I replied, ‘they certainly have!’
“We were both so glad that the weather was on its best behaviour!”
Harrison’s episode will air on BBC Two at 8 pm on Thursday 2nd Dec 2021, with a second airing on Saturday 4th December on BBC One at 11:30 am.
In the meantime, to keep up with Harrison’s recipes, antics, advice, and adventures you can connect with him on all social media platforms @fellfoodie.
