My life has been more surreal than usual of late, what with dinner with David Hockney (of which more later) and judging a Yorkshire Pudding comp. with that nice Matt Baker off the telly. The Countryfile team were filming in the Wolds at Skidby Mill, the last working windmill in Yorkshire, and they cooked up the idea of getting two of their presenters going head to head in the pudding stakes with the fine wholemeal flour produced on the day.
Matt Baker and Jonathan Edwards with the scientific formula for Yorkshire puddiing
Matt’s co-presenter Ellie Harrison was teamed with local farmer’s wife the wonderful Mary Rook, whilst Matt went all scientific with Jonathan Edwards from The Royal College of Chemistry who’d come up with a mathematical formula for the perfect pud.
Mandy breaking eggs with Countryfile presenter Ellie Harrison
Ben Cox hosted us at his fab pub the Star at Sancton, and we did our Masterchef schtick. It was tons of fun! The science pud rose like a creature from the lagoon whilst the traditionals were little golden orbs of loveliness. I’m not at liberty to say who won; you’ll have to watch the programme on 8 January. (BBC1 at 6.30. I know. Shameless self-publicity.)