‘Cheese before pudding? Is Mary mad?’

The research found among Bake Off fans, when it comes to the judges Mary Berry beats Paul Hollywood in the popularity stakes.

The research found among Bake Off fans, when it comes to the judges Mary Berry beats Paul Hollywood in the popularity stakes.

Published Mar 13, 2014

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London - For decades she has been hailed as the definitive guide to traditional food.

But when it comes to the order in which it is eaten, Mary Berry is rather less conventional.

During her new TV show the 78-year-old revealed that she serves cheese before the pudding.

“At my dinner parties I like to serve cheese after the main course because you still have red wine in the glass and it goes very well with cheese,” she told viewers of BBC Two’s Mary Berry Cooks. “And that is what they do in France and I think they set a good example.”

The Bake Off star’s recommendation caused a stir on Twitter. BBC Radio 4 presenter Jane Garvey wrote: “It’s the morning after Mary Berry said she serves cheese before pudding. Nothing will ever be quite the same again.”

Another fan added: “Cheese before pudding? Is Mary Berry mad?”

Camilla Schneideman of the Leith School of Food and Wine, defended the British tradition claiming that cheese is a more “social” way to end a meal. The British are joined by the Americans and Irish in eating cheese last, while Russians, Italians, French and Spanish all serve it before dessert. - Daily Mail

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