Profile

Biography

Lucy Young's first book, Secrets from a Country Kitchen, published in September 2004 by Ebury Press. The book features first class food for family and friends using easy to cook recipes and is full of tips and secrets about her working life. It contains over one hundred recipes for conventional cookers and AGAs - country recipes with a contemporary twist. The Saturday Telegraph said about Lucy's book: 'The methods are described in foolproof detail and the blurb minimal.' Lucy's second book has just been published by Absolute Press and is entitled Aga Easy. It's packed with delicious, simple recipes perfect for the Aga - Mary Berry was impressed by she feels 'Lucy will inspire a new generation of cooks'. Her latest book is Secrets of Aga Cakes which has also been very warmly received.

Lucy has guested many times on Great Food Live and Great Food Bites - the ever-popular live food shows broadcast on the UKTV Food channel.

Lucy has packed a lot into her cooking career. For over 15 years she has been assistant to Mary Berry who describes her as 'a truly exceptional cook', Having completed her Cordon Bleu training course, she worked for a private catering company for six months, then in a restaurant for a year, before joining Mary in 1990.

Lucy is an important part of the recipe development for all Mary's books - particularly those accompanying the BBC Television series Mary Berry's Ultimate Cakes and Mary Berry at Home - Lucy was also the home economist in charge of both TV series. She joined Mary on many occasions on BBC Radio 2 on the Debbie Thrower Programme, being interviewed and answering listeners' questions via phone-ins.

Lucy helped set up the very first AGA Workshop in July 1990, held at Mary Berry's house in Penn, Buckinghamshire, and she has been the mainstay of the bookings, recipes and structure ever since. Lucy teaches on every course. The Workshops are still a huge success, Mary having welcomed some 14,000 guests into her home over the years. Lucy's expertise is both in Aga demonstrations, and in creating and demonstrating no-hassle recipes to cook for family and friends. Lucy travels all around the country with Mary, giving cookery demonstrations at County Shows, and they have appeared at BBC Good Food Show in Birmingham and Festive Good Food Show in London for many years.

Lucy has a regular recipe column in Country Kitchen magazine that launched in Autumn 2005 and has contributed to Fresh magazine's 2005 Christmas special magazine for WH Smith.