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…on her new collection Well, it’s proper china. I wanted to have a range of china that you have for best and for everyday, which would be just as nice now as in 10 years’ time. And my china at home was getting a bit mishmash, so I’ve replaced the lot - and I just love it.
Some of the [items] are very much a ‘present’
range and some are things that you use every single day, but I like the crossover. So everything I’ve done can be used for all occasions. Captivate Brands have done just what I would ever have wished for and I hope that you like it.
“I don’t like patterned china because
I want to make the food the star”
…on her collaboration with Captivate Brands I was asked to do this range and I thought: ‘Do you know, I’d really quite enjoy that,’ because I’m very fussy - I know exactly what I like - and Captivate were brilliant in as much as they suggested the sort of things I’d have and then I chose exactly what I wanted. So when it came to the glasses for example,
they had to be the right size and thickness, and obviously dishwasher-proof. But we went back and back again doing sample after sample until it was absolutely right. The size of the plates and bowls was very
important, because you’ve got to think about what you’re going to put in them. One bowl is just right for soup. And I did fresh fruit salad for my husband this morning - with just the right amount in there.
…on inspiration from her home and garden I wanted some mugs, and if there was any sort of motif on them, I wanted it to be not bright but just beautifully tasteful and lovely. So I said I’d like some birds on the mugs - a robin, a wren and so forth - and they started to bring drawings of them. The mug is a lovely shape and it’s proper china but not too expensive. With the flowers, I just picked them from my
garden, and I took a forget-me-not because if you’re giving a mug as a present to a special friend, a forget-me-not means a lot. And I’ve got some lovely bowls that are a beautiful shape which we had as a wedding present, long since. I don’t even know where they came from but [Captivate Brands recreated] them. So I’m thrilled to bits with the lot. Also, at home we eat at a round table, but you
try buying a round mat! They’re all oblong and don’t fit on my table. So we have round mats: they’re beautifully quilted and you can use them on any table. And I’m not used to a [table] runner but gosh, on an oblong table they do look smart! Not as expensive as tablecloths and much easier to wash. And who doesn’t want a jug? I’ve got loads and what wonderful presents they make - you can put flowers in them, you can put custard in them, you can put them in the microwave - they’re pretty versatile.
…on presenting food How you present food and what you serve it on makes a lot of difference. It’s nice to have lovely china. Personally, I don’t like patterned china because I want to make the food the star. So that’s why I chose to have just little bobbles [a beaded border] all the way round the plates of my range. It’s simple but looks so tempting - and it’s got to be dishwasher-proof. I certainly don’t want square plates. Or funny shaped plates. Everything’s got to be practical. I feel for those waitresses that have to carry
Captivate Brands’ Mary Berry licensed range comprises the Signature Collection by Mary Berry which includes dinnerware and serveware crafted from fine white china with a beaded border, plus tabletop accessories such as serving boards, textiles, cutlery and glassware. The English Garden Collection by Mary Berry comprises giftware including jugs, bowls, storage canisters, mugs and coasters. Each piece has a single delicate colour motif inspired by Mary’s love of all things horticultural with birds and flowers.
slate [serving platters] laden with food. We had a drinks party some time ago and I asked for some slates but afterwards I thought: ‘Good gracious, I’m not going to have that malarkey again – they’re so heavy!”
…on her TV career I’m so pleased to be a judge on [BBC One TV series] ‘Best Home Cook’ because that’s what I am. I’m a home cook - and I don’t faff about doing things that take hours. I’m not one for lengthy decorating; I don’t ice cakes that take three days. I’m more about what the cake tastes like - and that it looks tempting, so that you definitely want to eat it. For my own wedding cake, I just picked a whole lot of fresh roses and put them around the outside; well, I had lots of things to do before the wedding!
Mary Berry with a selection of Bira members
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housewareslive.net •
HousewaresLive.net
…on hobbies To me, what I do is not work. It is my sheer pleasure. I love cooking and I love gardening - I find it very rewarding. So many people are stressed. But by doing a little bit of cooking or baking - or gardening and getting out in the fresh air - all one’s worries go. I’m president of National Garden Scheme
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twitter.com/Housewaresnews March/April 2020
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