Mary Berry’s Highland Christmas on BBC1 is a one-off festive special that sees cooking legend Dame Mary Berry enjoy a cosy Christmas in Scotland where she'll show us how to rustle up some incredible seasonal dishes.
Dame Mary will also be joined by some surprise special guests, including Scottish tennis star Andy Murray, who'll help her make it a Christmas to remember. There are also enjoy wonderful days out, from reindeer herding to meeting Christmas carollers and taking part in a traditional ceilidh dance. From her Highland retreat Mary will give us the tips, tricks and recipes we need to make sure our own Christmases are fun and fuss-free.
‘My mother was a Scot and I’ve always been proud of my Scottish heritage,’ says Dame Mary, 88. ‘So where better to have a Christmas break than in the Highlands? During my visit I’ll be rustling up some Scottish-inspired dishes to serve at Christmas,” says Dame Mary. “Christmas in Scotland is the biggest treat as my mother and her family were Scottish so it is a special place for me. The festive holidays are all about sharing special times with friends and family and so what better way than cooking some of my favourite dishes with a traditional Scottish twist. Joined by special guests and surrounded by beautiful scenery, these are recipes that can be used all over the festive season and I can’t wait to share Mary Berry’s Highland Christmas with BBC One viewers.”
Here’s everything you need to know about Mary Berry’s Highland Christmas…
Mary Berry’s Highland Christmas release date
Mary Berry’s Highland Christmas starts in the UK on BBC1 on Wednesday December 13 at 9pm. The 60-minute special will then become available on BBCiPlayer over the 2023 festive season. It was shown on PBS in the US from December 1 2023.
Is there a trailer for Mary Berry’s Highland Christmas?
Yes there's a lovely trailer for Mary Berry’s Highland Christmas in which Dame Mary explains all she's going to do this time, accompanied by the famous song Fairytale Of New York. Take a look below...
Recipes, locations and what happens in Mary Berry’s Highland Christmas
Dame Mary Berry travels to the Scottish Highlands for a Christmas break and cooks up some indulgent festive dishes inspired by her Scottish heritage, such as a spectacular Cranachan wreath, a cheese fondue and her classic Buche de Noel. She’ll share her own hints and hacks, making it easy for us to serve up delicious but simple and affordable Christmas fayre of our own. Joining Mary will be some special guests, who will accompany her on some enchanting festive days out including a sleigh ride with reindeer.
Andy Murray cooks in Mary Berry's Highland Christmas
Mary Berry will be joined by Scotland's tennis superstar Andy Murray who revealed a picture of himself, in his best Christmas jumper, on Instagram. He was alongside Mary and his late grandmother Shirley Erskine who died very recently.
Andy posted: "Cooking is definitely not my superpower, but think we managed to pull off something edible when I was joined in the @cromlixhotel kitchen with the best cook in my family, my Gran, and Dame Mary Berry. Mary Berry’s Highland Christmas is coming soon to BBC One."
Take a look at Andy's Instagram post below...
Interview: Dame Mary Berry gives the lowdown on Mary Berry’s Highland Christmas
Firstly, can we say how much we are loving your Christmas jumper!
Dame Mary Berry says: "It’s cream with ‘Fa La La’ written on it in red writing, and I love it!"
So, what was filming in the Scottish Highlands like?
"We have had some wonderful adventures. The great thing about Scotland is that when you get to the Highlands, there are the most amazing views and the air feels so fresh that you just want to be outside and soak up the beauty. We had some cold weather, but I wrapped up and took advantage of the stunning scenery. I’ve enjoyed being outside."
You arrive in Scotland on the Jacobite Steam Train, which is famous for providing travellers with stunning views of the Scottish Highlands and also appearing in the Harry Potter films as the Hogwarts Express. What was that like?
"I hadn’t been on the train before and it was packed with people, just like me, wanting to see the very best of the Scottish landscape. The scenery was absolutely unbelievable. I loved it."
Do you have a favourite recipe from the show?
"The Highland Pie. In Scotland, they use different cuts of meat, so we used shin of beef and made it into a tender, full-flavoured pie, with pickled walnuts and a lovely pastry on top."
You also create a showstopper Christmas cranachan wreath…
"It’s so beautiful and something to have as an alternative to Christmas pudding which many people think you must have, but this is much lighter. It looks really pretty too and it’s not too difficult to make. I filled it with cranachan, which is a traditional Scottish dessert of whiskey cream, toasted porridge oats and berries"
When you visited tennis superstar Sir Andy Murray, you met his gran Shirley, who sadly passed away since the programme was filmed. What can you tell us about spending time with them?
"Sir Andy Murray has a stunning hotel in the town of Dunblane [where he grew up], and Shirley made shortbread which was served there and it was delicious. They were so lovely to be with. I showed Andy how to make kedgeree, which might not seem Christmassy, but traditionally fish is served on Christmas Eve and I would serve it as a lighter alternative to meat.
With Iain Stirling, you make a super-cheesy fondue as a dip for Christmas lunch leftovers…
"Normally you just use crusty bread but you can do this with leftovers. We always make too many roast potatoes, and they are ideal. Cut them up small, reheat them until they are piping hot and just dip them in – absolutely lovely!"
Emeli Sandé drops in at your Christmas cottage. What do you get up to?
"She was absolutely great. She was keen to learn because she doesn’t get time to do much cooking. We made a beautiful Bûche de Noël [a yule log], and she had a go at everything, including piping the decoration. She was very enthusiastic and delightful to teach."
What is Christmas Day like in the Berry household?
"We usually go for a dog walk first, and then we go to church and everybody comes round to ours afterward to have a drink. We serve lunch about 2pm and then we sometimes record the King’s speech to watch it an hour later."
Do you have any festive traditions?
"I usually ask all the family to do something to entertain us. It might be one person playing an instrument, or it might be somebody doing a poem. It can be anything and they all come prepared to do a little act, which is great fun. We play a lot of games, too. It’s a lot of fun!"
Behind the scenes and more on Mary Berry’s Highland Christmas
Mary Berry's Highland Christmas is produced by Rumpus Media and commissioned by Catherine Catton, Head of Commissioning, Factual Entertainment and Events. The Commissioning Editor is Ricky Cooper. The Director is Katy Fryer and the Executive Producers are Emily Hudd and Kelly Sparks for Rumpus Media.
Catherine Catton, Head of Commissioning, Factual Entertainment and Events, BBC says: “This Christmas, I’m delighted that Mary’s celebrating Scotland in epic fashion, with the help of some incredible recipes and some very special friends. I can’t wait for audiences to discover all the indulgent, comforting dishes Mary’s got planned to take us through the Christmas holidays – from fondue with an extra-special twist to mouth-watering cranachan, Mary’s sure to inspire cooks across the nation once again.”
Emily Hudd, Executive Producer, Rumpus Media says: “It’s an extra special Christmas this year as Mary takes us up to the beautiful Highlands to share some indulgent recipes that are simply too delicious to save for Christmas Day. These are recipes that are sure to become festive family traditions."
More about Dame Mary Berry
Cordon Bleu chef Dame Mary Berry started her career as cookery editor of Housewife magazine in the 1960s. In the 1970s she launched the TV series Afternoon Plus alongside Judith Chalmers and has since fronted numerous shows including Mary Berry Cooks, Mary Berry’s Quick Cooking, Mary Berry Love to Cook and most recently Mary Makes It Easy.
Mary was of course a judge on The Great British Bake Off and Best Home Cook and in 2019 she presented the Christmas show A Berry Royal Christmas, with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. She’s written over 80 cookery books showcasing her simple yet delicious recipes.
