Mary Berry recalls sleeping with a pig in her bed during childhood

‘There’s nothing dirty about a pig, don’t believe otherwise,’ former Bake Off judge states

Sabrina Barr
Tuesday 25 August 2020 08:22 BST
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Mary Berry has recalled sleeping with a pig in her bed during her childhood, stating that there is “nothing dirty about a pig”.

While speaking to the Radio Times, the former Great British Bake Off judge explained that while staying at her family’s smallholding, she would often take the runt of the litter as a bedtime companion.

“I was known to swaddle one and take it to bed with me,” Berry said. “Only the runt, the little one that we had to feed from a bottle.”

“There’s nothing dirty about a pig, don’t believe otherwise,” the 85-year-old added.

Although she would frequently sleep with a pig in her bed, Berry still grew up eating animals from her family’s smallholding.

“Dad was very hands-on, we’d have the carcass back and he’d cut it up,” Berry recollected.

“We even made sausages, and of course nothing was wasted. It was just what we accepted.”

Berry was born on 24 March 1935 to Margaret and Alleyne Berry and grew up in Bath, Somerset. She was the second of three children.

While discussing the impact of lockdown with Radio Times, the chef said that the time at home has provided her with a sense of “peace”.

“Lockdown gave us all so much time, peace, no urgency to do anything. I love that,” she said.

“I’m looking at the sloes in the hedge, the willowherb. So lucky not to be in a town or a high-rise flat.

“It’s the first thing I do if I have to go to London for the day – come home, and say ‘I’ll do the dogs this afternoon’. I feel so much better for it.”

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