Mary Berry calls vegan substitute for egg whites ‘stupid'

Telegraph

20-03-2025

Dame Mary Berry has called a vegan substitute for egg-whites in baking 'stupid'.
The former Great British Bake Off judge, 89, offered her unapologetic take on using the popular egg-white substitute aquafaba – the liquid from canned chickpeas – for baked goods.
Sitting down with British Vogue for an interview ahead of her 90th birthday on Monday, Dame Mary was asked her opinion on 'whipping chickpea water into an egg-white substitute', to which she simply responded with a laugh, saying: 'Stupid.'
Aquafaba, derived from the water the chickpeas have been cooked in, has become a popular vegan egg substitute, known for its ability to whip into a fluffy texture meaning it can emulate egg whites in recipes, including meringues and mousses.
However, the doyenne of British baking, who was made a Dame Commander in late 2021 for an influential culinary career spanning more than 50 years, disagreed.
Instead, she will be using traditional methods to whip up her favourite Victoria sandwich cake for her 90th birthday next week.
'It's a bit hackneyed, but there's nothing better than a Victoria sandwich,' she said of the cake she has been making since during the Second World War.
'It's an act of love, isn't it, baking a cake,' she told British Vogue, adding: 'It brings people together. It's a celebration.'
Dame Mary became a household name to a new generation of bakers thanks to her role as a judge, alongside Paul Hollywood, in the popular show The Great British Bake Off.
Her first cookbook, The Hamlyn All Colour Cookbook, was published in 1970 and she has gone on to write more than 50 others which have sold millions of copies around the world.
She has addressed the rising popularity of veganism before, telling the BBC in 2021 that she was 'eager' to discover new vegan recipes.
'When I was young, most people hadn't ever heard of vegetarian, let alone vegan, but times are changing fast and I'm eager to explore,' Dame Mary said.
Speaking in 2022, the television cook admitted that she doesn't follow 'any particular diet,' but is 'careful' with her body weight and just eats 'a little bit less'.
Elsewhere in her Vogue interview, Dame Mary addressed her secrets to a happy marriage ahead of her 60th wedding anniversary.
She said: 'Respect. Love, of course, but respect is so important. And I don't count the decades too closely.
'Also we never raise our voices at each other because, you know, we love each other. If I'm a bit miffed, I very often think, 'Well, I'm not gonna say that right now. I'll go to the greenhouse and do some cuttings.' Never go to sleep on a quarrel.'
Dame Mary, who has been married to her retired antiquarian bookseller husband since 1966, added: 'Happiness is very, very important, but it can be elusive sometimes. You have to look after it.'
The couple have two grown-up children, Thomas and Annabel, but lost their son William in a car accident in 1989 when he was aged 19.
'It was a huge tragedy, but we did have two more children,' she said. 'We always think we were fortunate to have had him for 19 years.
'We still talk about him – the grandchildren particularly, the boys who love rugby.'
Dame Mary added: 'It's absolutely amazing in my 90th year to think that William died all that time ago. If he walked in that door over there, I would say: 'Where have you been?' It wouldn't surprise me at all.'
The full feature in the April issue of British Vogue will be available via digital download and on news-stands from March 25.