The star of Mary Berry’s kitchen is this cult mixing bowl

Mixing bowls are not usually an item high on anyone’s kitchen wish list, but if there was one person who could make a mixing bowl covetable it’s Mary Berry.

The distinguished baker, chef, writer and TV presenter recently celebrated her 90th birthday, marking the occasion with a feature in Vogue, where a certain Mason Cash mixing bowl that’s already a favourite of the Ideal Home team made a starring feature.

Yep, whether this particular red bowl is just a photoshoot prop or not, we’ve spotted the earthenware bowl on many of Mary Berry’s cooking shows, and it has star status of its own, much like one of the best stand mixers from KitchenAid.

Here’s why the Mason Cash Mixing Bowl (from £14.93 on Amazon) is a baking cult classic.

The exact striking red bowl used in Mary Berry’s Vogue feature is from Mason Cash’s Hearts range, which was last available to buy around Valentine’s Day. So though you can’t pick up an exact replica right now, there’s still plenty of similar bowls in the same style from the brand to choose from.

My favourite (which I use pretty much everyday at home) is the In the Meadow Tulip Bowl, which you can pick up on Amazon for £23.51. It was the favourite of this year’s Great British Bake Off semi finalist Gill Howard too, who inspired me to splash out with her series-long love of it.

If flowers aren’t quite your thing, then the Cane collection is also popular, with the Cream colour currently on sale at Dunelm for just £14.

Regardless of which bowl you choose, the thing that makes this range worth investing in is the earthenware material. I find it’s noticeably lighter in my hand (or under my arm when mixing) than other bowls, and it’s tough – great for withstanding vigorous mixing for cakes or brownie batter.

Originating in Derbyshire in 1800, it’s fair to say that longevity is part of the Mason Cash appeal. While I’m only a recent convert to one of these bowls, other fans on the Ideal Home team got there long before me. One is Ideal Home’s Deputy Digital Editor Rebecca Knight.

‘I spotted my Mason Cash bowl in TK Maxx 8 years ago, and it’s moved with me to every kitchen since,’ she says. ‘It’s the perfect weighty mixing bowl with perfectly sloping sides that makes creaming butter and sugar for cakes easy.’

Seeing as we’re all about prioristing practicality and prettiness at Ideal Home, it’s no surprise that this bowl is a team favourite.

‘It’s that ideal combination of functional baking equipment that also looks great on display with its vintage good looks,’ says Rebecca. ‘Mine was unfortunately broken in a recent house move, but I’m planning to replace it with the classic beige or maybe Mary Berry’s red version….’

Our Editor Heather has a Mason Cash bowl that she’s treasured for a long time too. ‘My large Mason Cash mixing bowl was originally my nanna’s, who used to bake all the time,’ says Heather. ‘As a family of keen cooks, this bowl is used frequently, both when baking or just for general food prep. There are a few minor marks on the inside of the bowl but apart from that it looks as good as new, and hopefully one day I’ll pass it onto my own grandchildren!’

Do you have a mixing bowl in your kitchen that’s stood the test of time in a similar way? Let me know your favourite baking essential.