Mary Berry comes to Scone Palace for new television show

TV’s favourite cook comes to Scotland for her new show this week.

Mary Berry’s Country House Secrets comes to Scone Palace in the second episode of the series, and is due to be broadcast tonight, Wednesday.

Mary will take views on a behind-the-scenes peek of stately home life when it features in a new four-part cooking series.

Mary Berry and Lord Mansfield

The historic Perthshire visitor attraction is known worldwide for being the crowning place of the Kings of Scots. In the new programme, Mary creates dishes inspired by Scone Palace’s long, lauded heritage.

Mary said: ‘Britain is world famous for its stately homes and when it comes to food our country houses were the tastemakers. In this series, we will sample delicious dishes inspired by the history of our great houses, enjoy the lavish hospitality these homes were celebrated for and meet the families behind them.’

While much of Scone Palace is familiar to visitors, Mary takes the public into areas the staff and owners, visit its gardens, private quarters and wider estate, and create sumptuous dishes in the Palace’s stunning Victorian-style Old Kitchen.

William Murray and Mary Berry

Scone Palace’s kitchen gardens – headed up by Brian Cunningham from BBC Scotland’s Beechgrove Garden – provide the ingredients for many of the dishes cooked there, including its annual festive lunches every Christmas.

The show was recorded over 10 days, at the Palace which is owned by the 9th Earl of Mansfield. The Earl and Countess of Mansfield, daughter Lady Iona Murray and son William Murray, Viscount Stormont, all feature in the programme along with many of the Palace and estate staff team.

Mary is seen cooking with the Countess and Lady Iona, attends a ceilidh in the Palace and is accompanied by game keeper, Roddy MacIntosh, deer stalking on the Logiealmond hills.

Iain Kirk (ghillie) and Mary Berry

Lady Mansfield said: ‘It was such a pleasure being able to show Mary and her crew around and to share aspects of our daily lives here at the Palace.

‘The food we serve here, both publicly and privately, is wrapped up in our history, with recipes inspired by the estate and dishes passed down through generations. It was inspiring to see Mary – whom I regard as one of the country’s great TV personalities and cooks – soak up our history and use it to create her own gorgeous dishes.’

· Mary Berry’s Country House Secrets will air at 8pm on BBC One on Wednesday, 29 November.