Mary Berry's Roast chicken with scalloped potatoes is a surefire hit.

Mary Berry’s new television show takes her out of the kitchen and into more unusual locations, including the cricket pitch.

“I’ve had a wonderful time. I’ve been to Edgbaston [the Birmingham cricket ground] talking to Jonny Bairstow – that was great, because just afterwards he scored two centuries. I think I gave him luck,” the 87-year-old says cheekily.

“He was such a lovely man.” Berry feels right at home in a cricket club, having watched her husband and children play over the years and making many a tea along the way. Family is the central thread of her new six-part cooking show, Cook And Share.

Each episode takes the former Great British Bake Off judge to a new location across the UK with which she has a personal connection. In one, she travels to Bristol – a place she would often visit at weekends when growing up in nearby Bath, and where she had her first job after college.

“I have a granddaughter who’s at uni there, and it was lovely to get back to Bristol,” Berry says.

It was also where her youngest son William went to university – he was killed in a car crash at the age of 19, and during her trip, she visits his memorial plaque there.

Berry finds the city much changed from her youth.

“There are new things happening in Bristol,” she says.

“There’s an area I’ve visited by the dockside, and they have these shipping containers all along the bank. They’re all individuals doing their particular thing – a lot of food items and accessory items. The council has made them very reasonable to rent. People set up their own shops, and people go to buy their [items], or have different foods. It really is great, and it’s a different area for the tourists.” And then there’s the trip to Edinburgh, in her mother’s homeland of Scotland.

“I started the marathon there,” Berry says, quickly adding that she didn’t actually do all 26.2 miles. Instead, she was on hand to serve the runners after they’d completed the route, saying: “Gosh they were hungry after they’d done the marathon, and I helped to feed them.” In another episode, Berry helps to cater for a wedding with 400 guests.

“I knew nothing about an Indian wedding. It was absolutely amazing – the groom coming in all dressed up, on a white horse. It was unbelievable, and the bride in red,” Berry says. “She was in this gorgeous dress with her shoes – Jimmy Choo with a heel so high, I caught her afterwards walking in bare feet.

“The menu was Indian, and it was absolutely delicious – it was so different to a wedding we have, and it goes on for days.” It was certainly a new experience for the veteran cook, and one that had her thinking back to her own wedding more than 50 years ago.

She married Paul Hunnings at home in Bath, going on to have three children (Thomas, Annabel and William) and five grandchildren together.

Compared to the extravaganza she helped cater, Berry says: “Our wedding was very, very low-key. We were married at two o’clock, came back to my parents’ house, and had tea – that was nice sandwiches, raspberries and cream. Five o’clock comes, and off you go on your honeymoon – none of these evening parties. It didn’t go on for days.” And yet Berry can still see the similarities between the two weddings: a love of good food. “Food brings everybody together,” she says simply. “So the better the food, the more they enjoy it.” When we speak, Berry is looking forward to her next adventure for the show: going to Wilderness Festival. But make no mistake – this isn’t Berry’s first music festival.

“I’ve been to Camp Bestival, where I was playing the drums,” she says, referring to when she got on stage with Rick Astley in 2018. “I love the atmosphere because everybody’s out to enjoy themselves.” She particularly enjoys the vibe of Wilderness, because it’s “all about food and music”.

She says: “There are all different stalls of food for people to taste. It’s very much about food, and I’m looking forward to meeting all the people who are making it.” This year, she’s hoping to eat some Mexican, adding “it’s quite popular” among street food stalls.

Berry’s all about broadening her horizons, and at Wilderness will be learning from a Swedish chef who impresses her: Niklas Ekstedt.

“He cooks with fire, and that is really interesting,” says Berry. “He bakes actually in the coals, and he has a restaurant in Sweden – it’s always full of people who like the different way of cooking.” The common thread running through the series is sharing food – and how this can bring us together. The show runs as a companion to her new cookbook with the same name, and Berry is well aware how our approach to food has changed over the years.

“Having food at home has changed, it’s less formal. And also if you’re going out very often there are sharing platters it’s all much more relaxed, don’t you think?” she says.

Two roast chickens with scalloped potatoes recipe by:Mary Berry So often sharing a roast is the best way to spend a Sunday and one chicken is never enough with hungry teenagers around, so try this simple recipe to share with the gang. Chicken is great value but always buy free-range. Servings 8 Preparation Time 10 mins Cooking Time 1 hours 30 mins Total Time 1 hours 40 mins Course Main Cuisine British Ingredients 2 oven-ready whole chickens (about 1.75kg/3lb 14oz each) 8 fresh bay leaves Small bunch of sage leaves 1 large lemon, halved 55g (2oz) butter, softened 1 tbsp paprika 1 large bulb garlic, halved horizontally 150ml (¼ pint) white wine 300ml (½ pint) chicken stock 55g (2oz) plain flour A little gravy browning (optional) For the scalloped potatoes:  1.2kg (2lb 12oz) peeled potatoes, very thinly sliced into discs 1 onion, thinly sliced 55g (2oz) butter, cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing 600ml (1 pint) chicken stock Method Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas 6 and grease a shallow 1.8 litre (3¼ pint) ovenproof dish. Place the chickens on a board. Place half the bay leaves, a third of the sage and a lemon half in the cavity of each bird. Mix the butter and paprika together in a small bowl. Spread over the breasts of the birds and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the remaining sage, garlic, wine and stock into the base of a large roasting tin. Put a large grill rack on top and sit the chickens side by side on the rack. To make the potato gratin, arrange a layer of sliced potato in the base of the prepared dish. Scatter the onion and a few cubes of butter over the top and pour in a little stock. Season well and repeat the layers, including the stock, finishing with a layer of potato. Cover the dish with buttered foil. Slide the chickens on to the top shelf of the oven and the potatoes on the shelf below. Roast both for about 1½ hours, removing the foil from the potatoes after 45 minutes. Keep an eye on the chickens – if they are getting too brown, then cover with foil. Once the chickens are golden and cooked through, and the potatoes are tender, remove from the oven. Cover the chickens and potatoes with foil and set aside while you make the gravy. Strain the juices and stock from the roasting tin into a jug. Skim off as much fat as possible from the jug and reserve. You will need 450ml (¾ pint) liquid from the roasting tin; add extra stock if you need to increase the amount. Return the fat to the roasting tin and sprinkle in the flour. Stir over the heat for a few seconds, then whisk in the strained stock. Continue to whisk until thickened and smooth. Check the seasoning and add a little gravy browning, if liked. Carve the chickens and serve with the potatoes, gravy and a green vegetable alongside. From 'Cook and Share: 120 Delicious New Fuss-free Recipes' by Mary Berry published by Penguin. 

So often sharing a roast is the best way to spend a Sunday and one chicken is never enough with hungry teenagers around, so try this simple recipe to share with the gang. Chicken is great value but always buy free-range.

2 oven-ready whole chickens (about 1.75kg/3lb 14oz each)

Small bunch of sage leaves

1 large bulb garlic, halved horizontally

A little gravy browning (optional)

For the scalloped potatoes:  1.2kg (2lb 12oz) peeled potatoes, very thinly sliced into discs

55g (2oz) butter, cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas 6 and grease a shallow 1.8 litre (3¼ pint) ovenproof dish.

Place the chickens on a board. Place half the bay leaves, a third of the sage and a lemon half in the cavity of each bird.

Mix the butter and paprika together in a small bowl. Spread over the breasts of the birds and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Place the remaining sage, garlic, wine and stock into the base of a large roasting tin. Put a large grill rack on top and sit the chickens side by side on the rack.

To make the potato gratin, arrange a layer of sliced potato in the base of the prepared dish. Scatter the onion and a few cubes of butter over the top and pour in a little stock. Season well and repeat the layers,

including the stock, finishing with a layer of potato. Cover the dish with buttered foil.

Slide the chickens on to the top shelf of the oven and the potatoes on the shelf below. Roast both for about 1½ hours, removing the foil from the potatoes after 45 minutes. Keep an eye on the chickens – if they are getting too brown, then cover with foil. Once the chickens are golden and cooked through, and the potatoes are tender, remove from the oven.

Cover the chickens and potatoes with foil and set aside while you make the gravy.

Strain the juices and stock from the roasting tin into a jug. Skim off as much fat as possible from the jug and reserve. You will need 450ml (¾ pint) liquid from the roasting tin; add extra stock if you need to increase the amount.

Return the fat to the roasting tin and sprinkle in the flour. Stir over the heat for a few seconds, then whisk in the strained stock. Continue to whisk until thickened and smooth. Check the seasoning and add a little gravy browning, if liked.

Carve the chickens and serve with the potatoes, gravy and a green vegetable alongside. From 'Cook and Share: 120 Delicious New Fuss-free Recipes' by Mary Berry published by Penguin. 

The ultimate chocolate brownies recipe by:Mary Berry This is our favourite brownie; it has a wrinkled top and a gooey middle. Perfect for eating as it is or you could add a topping of your choice. Servings 24 Preparation Time 10 mins Cooking Time 45 mins Total Time 55 mins Course Baking Cuisine American Ingredients 360g (12½ oz) Bournville plain chocolate (2 × 180g packets), broken into pieces 225g (8oz) butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing 225g (8oz) light muscovado sugar 4 eggs, beaten 75g (3oz) self-raising flour 1 tsp vanilla extract 75g (3oz) chocolate chips Method Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and line a 30 × 23cm (12 × 9in) traybake tin with non-stick baking paper. Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water until melted. Stir to combine. Remove from the heat and add the sugar and eggs. Mix well until smooth, then add the flour and vanilla and mix again. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour the chocolate mixture into the prepared tin and bake for about 45 minutes, until well risen and set around the edges, with a slightly soft centre. Leave to cool in the tin, then slice into 24 squares. From 'Cook and Share: 120 Delicious New Fuss-free Recipes' by Mary Berry published by Penguin.

This is our favourite brownie; it has a wrinkled top and a gooey middle. Perfect for eating as it is or you could add a topping of your choice.

360g (12½ oz) Bournville plain chocolate (2 × 180g packets), broken into pieces

225g (8oz) butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing

225g (8oz) light muscovado sugar

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and line a 30 × 23cm (12 × 9in) traybake tin with non-stick baking paper.

Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water until melted. Stir to combine.

Remove from the heat and add the sugar and eggs. Mix well until smooth, then add the flour and vanilla and mix again. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour the chocolate mixture into the prepared tin and bake for about 45 minutes, until well risen and set around the edges, with a slightly soft centre.

Leave to cool in the tin, then slice into 24 squares. From 'Cook and Share: 120 Delicious New Fuss-free Recipes' by Mary Berry published by Penguin.

Read MoreMary Berry cleans her roasting tins with a dishwasher tablet and other top tips 

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