Mary Berry Heads to the Highlands on PBS & BBC for the Holidays

The Great British Baking Show may have managed to stay popular despite moving to Netflix and changing out judges to Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith. However, fans wistfully sigh for OG judge Mary Berry when the series returns every year and ask what she's up to. The answer is simple: She's still cooking away at the BBC. Like original hosts Sue and Mel, she chose not to defect to Channel 4 and stayed where she was, doing what she loved. However, it took a while for her to return to American shores. (Can you blame her? If the stove burns you, it's not one you will touch again soon.) But last year, PBS stations brought over her Christmas special for the BBC, and it did so well, despite not being marketed very much, that Berry has decided to do it again for the 2023 Holidays with Mary Berry's Highland Christmas.

For those who watched the 2022 Christmas Special, Berry stayed at home, cooking around her kitchen with friends and having a lovely holiday season. For this year's holiday special, she's heading north to the Highlands, where her family originally hails from and where her late mother was born and raised. Berry is known in the U.K. for making Scottish dishes around the Holidays as a family tradition (you can see the video below from her regular cooking show). This special is one where she brings those recipes all in one place, celebrating the best dishes Scotland has to offer to keep everyone warm on the cold, dark nights of December.

Here's the special's official synopsis via the BBC:

In this enchanting festive special, Mary Berry travels to the Highlands on a winter break, cooking up some truly indulgent dishes that can be enjoyed at any time over the festive season. Audiences will have the opportunity to recreate some of Mary’s favorite Christmas dishes, as well as those steeped in the Scottish tradition, including a spectacular Cranachan wreath, indulgent cheese fondue, and her classic Buche de Noel. But this isn’t just any Christmas, this one is extra special and deeply meaningful for Mary because she’s spending it in her mother’s homeland, Scotland. Sprinkled amidst the abundance of rich cultural delights will be Mary reflecting on her heritage with fascinating anecdotes about her Scottish roots. She’s not going alone; accompanying her on this magical adventure will be special guests who’ll make this one a Christmas to remember.

The BBC did not disclose which special guests will be joining Berry for her special, but one would expect some familiar faces from BBC Food to make appearances, especially from their Scottish arm, like U.K. favorites Tony Singh, Nick Nairn, and Sue Lawrence.

The hour-long Mary Berry’s Highland Christmas special does not have an official release date on BBC One, but it will premiere on most PBS stations on Monday, December 18, 2023, and arrive on most PBS Passports for members the same day to stream. As always, check your local listings.