Eventually, after a year had passed, she felt strong enough to face the world again. So she started her own cookery school from home, focused around the Aga in her own kitchen.

“People started ringing and asking ‘When can I come to the school?’ So we made two dates, then another two, and then, from that day on for the next 12 years, we never advertised. It was always personal recommendation and we gave people a right day out.”

The cookery school attracted over 40,000 people to Berry’s kitchen – and allowed her to get back to doing what she loved most, all whilst remaining close to her family and friends. That refusal to compromise, and her desire to do things on her own terms, is probably a big part of why she is so well-loved today.

Mary Berry opens up about son William’s death in moving documentary