Mary Berg (chef)

{{Infobox person

| name = Mary Berg

| image = Mary Berg at the 2019 CFC Annual Garden Party (48098986098).jpg

| alt =

| caption = Mary Berg at the 2019 CFC Garden Party

| other_names =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1989|12|13}}

| birth_place = Pickering, Ontario, Canada

| death_date =

| death_place =

| education =

| alma_mater = {{plainlist|

}}

| occupation = {{plainlist|

Insurance broker (former)
Cook
TV host
Author

}}

| years_active =

| known_for = {{plainlist|

}}

| notable_works =

| website = {{URL|http://www.asmallstove.com}}

}}

Mary Berg is a Canadian television host, author and cook, who rose to fame as the winner of the third season of MasterChef Canada. She has been the host of two television cooking shows, Mary's Kitchen Crush and Mary Makes It Easy, and the daytime talk show, The Good Stuff with Mary Berg. She has released three cookbooks, Kitchen Party, Well Seasoned and In Mary's Kitchen.{{cite web | first=Amber | last=Dowling | url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/global/mary-berg-masterchef-bell-media-ina-garten-1235459787/ | title=How Mary Berg Went From ‘MasterChef’ Hopeful to a Millennial Ina Garten | magazine=Variety | date=13 December 2022}}

Early life

Berg was born in Pickering, Ontario.{{Cite web|title=Pickering TV chef Mary Berg will debut her first cookbook next year|url=https://www.durhamregion.com/news-story/8588246-pickering-tv-chef-mary-berg-will-debut-her-first-cookbook-next-year/|last=Fillatrau|first=Shana|date=7 May 2018|website=DurhamRegion.com|language=en-CA|access-date=9 May 2020}} When she was four years old, Berg was in a car accident in which her father died.{{Cite web|title=MasterChef winner Mary Berg on becoming a better home cook|url=https://trnto.com/cooking-up-comfort-with-chef-mary-berg-marys-kitchen-crush/|last=Huras|first=Jessica|date=31 March 2020|website=TRNTO.com|language=en-US|access-date=9 May 2020}}{{Cite news|date=6 December 2019|title=Masterchef Canada winner Mary Berg's recipe for stress-free cooking|work=CBC Radio|url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thenextchapter/full-episode-dec-7-2019-1.5383734/masterchef-canada-winner-mary-berg-s-recipe-for-stress-free-cooking-1.5383746|access-date=9 May 2020}} Her mother and brother survived the accident with injuries, but Berg survived relatively unscathed.{{Cite web|last=David|first=Lauren|date=2022-01-12|title=The Family Tragedy That Led To Mary Berg's Love Of Cooking|url=https://www.mashed.com/731410/the-family-tragedy-that-led-to-mary-bergs-love-of-cooking/|access-date=2022-01-15|website=Mashed.com|language=en-US}} Berg helped out preparing meals for her family from about age 7 and by age 13 was cooking dinner for her family on her own.{{Cite news|last=Yeo|first=Debra|date=24 April 2019|title=MasterChef Canada winner Mary Berg warms up the TV screen with her own show|work=Toronto Star|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/2019/04/24/masterchef-canada-winner-mary-berg-warms-up-the-tv-screen-with-her-own-show.html|access-date=9 May 2020}}

Berg attended Pine Ridge Secondary School in Pickering, Ontario, and later went on to obtain her bachelor's degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, double majoring in history and English.{{Cite web|title=The Winner of MasterChef Canada Explains How a Terrible Accident Made Her a Pathological Saver|url=https://www.wealthsimple.com/en-ca/magazine/money-diary-mary-berg|date=16 November 2016|website=Magazine|access-date=9 May 2020}} She then pursued a master's degree in information science at the University of Toronto.

Career

After university, Berg became an insurance broker. She left her job to compete in MasterChef Canada in 2016.{{Cite web|title=Saying Farewell to Mary Berg|url=https://cadeinsurance.com/2016/03/16/saying-farewell-to-mary-berg/|date=16 March 2016|website=Cade Associates Insurance Brokers Limited|language=en-US|access-date=9 May 2020}}{{Cite web|title=Celebrity chef Mary Berg cooks with love|url=https://www.stalberttoday.ca/entertainment-news/celebrity-chef-mary-berg-cooks-spoonful-love-1298482|last=Borowiecki|first=Anna|date=21 April 2018|website=StAlbertToday.ca|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020}} Berg was the winner of season 3 of MasterChef Canada and the first ever female winner of the show.{{Cite news|last=Van Rosendaal|first=Julie|date=25 September 2019|title=MasterChef Canada winner and author Mary Berg on how to plan a dinner party and what she's reading now|work=The Globe and Mail|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books/article-masterchef-canada-winner-and-author-mary-berg-on-how-to-plan-a-dinner/|access-date=9 May 2020}}

Since winning MasterChef Canada, Berg has appeared as a regular food expert on television shows like Your Morning and The Marilyn Denis Show.{{Cite web|title=Mary Berg's Super Versatile White Beans on Toast|url=https://thekit.ca/life/culture-life/mary-berg-recipes/|last=Buchar|first=Lara|date=27 March 2020|website=The Kit|language=en-US|access-date=9 May 2020}} In 2017, Berg starred in an eight-episode cooking show on Gusto called Mary's Big Kitchen Party.{{Cite web|title=From home kitchen to cooking show: hosting a kitchen party with Mary Berg|url=https://eatnorth.com/mallory-frayn/home-kitchen-cooking-show-hosting-kitchen-party-mary-berg|last=Frayn|first=Mallory|date=11 November 2017|website=Eat North|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020}} She served as a culinary consultant for the Star Trek: Discovery episode, "Vaulting Ambition."{{Cite web |last=Walker |first=Kylie |date=2021-04-27 |title=For Mary Berg, cooking is a love letter to family and friends |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/for-mary-berg-cooking-is-a-love-letter-to-family-and-friends/bg0ckrlg9 |access-date=2023-09-07 |website=SBS Food |language=en}}

Berg is the first MasterChef Canada winner to host her own cooking show, Mary's Kitchen Crush. The show premiered on CTV in April 2019.{{Cite web|title=One Day in Toronto: Masterchef Canada winner Mary Berg|url=https://eatnorth.com/daniel-ball/one-day-toronto-masterchef-canada-winner-mary-berg|last=Ball|first=Daniel|date=5 November 2019|website=Eat North|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020}} Mary's Kitchen Crush won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Lifestyle Series, and Berg won for Best Lifestyle Host, at the 8th Canadian Screen Awards in 2020.Brent Furdyk, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200612042917/https://etcanada.com/news/649229/canadian-screen-awards-winners-revealed-in-lifestyle-reality-childrens-youth-categories/ "Canadian Screen Awards: Winners Revealed In Lifestyle And Reality, Children's And Youth Categories"]. ET Canada, 26 May 2020. Mary’s Kitchen Crush won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Lifestyle Series again in 2021 at the 9th Canadian Screen Awards, where Berg also won Best Lifestyle Host.Marisska Fernandez, [https://www.tribute.ca/news/canadian-screen-awards-2021-news-documentary-lifestyle-and-reality/2021/05/18/ "Canadian Screen Awards 2021: News, Documentary, Lifestyle and Reality"]. Tribute, 18 May 2021.

Berg's first cookbook, Kitchen Party, was published in September 2019.

In 2021, Berg premiered the new series Mary Makes It Easy, designed around simple, easy-to-make recipes for people who struggle with their cooking skills, on CTV Life Channel.Greg David, [https://www.tv-eh.com/2021/09/03/award-winner-mary-berg-is-back-on-tv-with-mary-makes-it-easy/ "Award-winner Mary Berg is back on TV with Mary Makes it Easy"]. TV, eh?, 3 September 2021. That same year, she released her second cookbook, Well Seasoned.{{Cite web|last=Brehaut|first=Laura|date=2021-11-26|title='Food, it's infinite': TV host Mary Berg shares seasonal favourites from her family table in new cookbook|url=https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/food-its-infinite-tv-host-mary-berg-shares-seasonal-favourites-from-her-family-table-in-new-cookbook|access-date=2021-11-27|website=O Canada|language=en-CA}} Well Seasoned won the gold medal at the 2022 Taste Canada Awards for best general cookbook.{{Cite news |date=2022-11-14 |title=Celebrity chef Mary Berg wins best cookbook of the year at 2022 Taste Canada Awards |work=CBC |url=https://www.cbc.ca/books/celebrity-chef-mary-berg-wins-best-cookbook-of-the-year-at-2022-taste-canada-awards-1.6650842 |access-date=2022-11-28}}

On 6 April 2022, Berg won the Canadian Screen Award for Host, Lifestyle at the 10th Canadian Screen Awards. Mary Makes It Easy also won the award for Lifestyle Program or Series, on which Berg is a co-executive producer.Greg David, [https://www.tv-eh.com/2022/04/06/corner-gas-animated-the-hardy-boys-mary-berg-and-canadas-drag-race-win-during-night-3-of-the-2022-canadian-screen-awards/ "Corner Gas Animated, The Hardy Boys, Mary Berg and Canada’s Drag Race win during Night 3 of the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards"]. TV, eh?, 6 April 2022.

On 12 April 2023, Berg hosted the 11th Canadian Screen Awards ceremony for Lifestyle and Reality Television categories. Mary Makes It Easy won in three categories, including 'Best Lifestyle Program or Series', 'Best Direction, Lifestyle or Information', and 'Best Photography, Lifestyle or Reality/Competition'.Connie Thiessen, [https://broadcastdialogue.com/2023-canadian-screen-awards-lifestyle-reality-winners/ "2023 Canadian Screen Awards: Lifestyle & Reality winners"]. Broadcast Dialogue, 12 April 2023.

In February 2022, Mary Makes It Easy premiered on Food Network in the USA.Victoria Priola, [https://www.pennlive.com/life/2022/02/how-to-watch-mary-bergs-mary-makes-it-easy-cooking-show-premiere-date-time-channel-live-stream-info.html "How to watch Mary Berg’s ‘Mary Makes it Easy’ cooking show: Date, time, channel, live stream info"]. The Patriot-News, 5 February 2022. She served as co-host for the CTV show, Cross Country Cake Off, which premiered in December 2022.{{Cite web |last=Ball |first=Daniel |date=2022-11-16 |title=New CTV series Cross Country Cake Off premieres December 4 |url=https://eatnorth.com/daniel-ball/new-ctv-series-cross-country-cake-premieres-december-4 |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=Eat North |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=CTV |title=CTV's Original Competition Series CROSS COUNTRY CAKE OFF Premieres with Special Two-Night Event Beginning December 15 |url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/ctv-s-original-competition-series-cross-country-cake-off-premieres-with-special-two-night-event-beginning-december-15-834732892.html |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=News Wire |language=en}}

In June 2023, Berg was announced as the host of The Good Stuff with Mary Berg, a new daily talk and lifestyle series replacing The Marilyn Denis Show on CTV's daytime schedule.Greg David, [https://www.tv-eh.com/2023/06/08/ctv-orders-new-daytime-series-the-good-stuff-with-mary-berg-premiering-fall-2023/ "CTV orders new daytime series, The Good Stuff with Mary Berg, premiering fall 2023"]. TV, eh?, 8 June 2023. The show's name came from a quote Berg included in her first cookbook from Ratatouille: "‘If you are what you eat, then I only want to eat the good stuff."{{Cite web |last=Dowling |first=Amber |date=2023-09-01 |title=How Mary Berg's 'Ratatouille' obsession led to 'The Good Stuff' |url=https://www.etalk.ca/tv/2023/9/how-mary-berg-ratatouille-obsession-led-to-the-good-stuff.html |access-date=2023-09-07 |website=etalk |language=en-US}} The Good Stuff premiered on 5 September and airs weekdays at 10am Eastern Time.Greg David, [https://www.tv-eh.com/2023/08/23/ctvs-new-daytime-series-the-good-stuff-with-mary-berg-debuts-sept-5/ "CTV’s new daytime series, The Good Stuff with Mary Berg, debuts Sept. 5"]. TV, eh?, 23 August 2023.

In July 2023, Berg announced that she will be hosting a podcast called Mary's Reservation for Two.{{Cite web |title=Mary's Reservation for Two |url=https://www.iheart.com/podcast/962-marys-reservation-for-two-118752580/ |access-date=2023-07-12 |website=iHeart |language=en}} Her third cookbook, In Mary’s Kitchen: Stress-Free Recipes for Every Home Cook was published in October 2023.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-09-05 |title=5 exciting new Canadian cookbooks to buy this fall |url=https://eatnorth.com/eat-north/5-exciting-new-canadian-cookbooks-buy-fall |access-date=2023-09-07 |website=Eat North |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Brehaut |first=Laura |date=2023-11-24 |title=Cook This: Three recipes from In Mary's Kitchen, including Irish onion soup |url=https://nationalpost.com/life/food/mary-berg-recipes |access-date=2024-02-13 |work=National Post}} In Mary's Kitchen won a 2024 Taste Canada Awards in the General Cookbooks category.{{Cite news |date=2024-10-22 |title=Mary Berg among winners of the 2024 Taste Canada Awards celebrating Canadian food writing |url=https://www.cbc.ca/books/mary-berg-among-winners-of-the-2024-taste-canada-awards-celebrating-canadian-food-writing-1.7359769 |access-date=2024-11-18 |work=CBC}}

A series of poorly photo-shopped ads were taken out on X in January 2024 falsely claiming Berg had been arrested.{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Simran |date=2024-01-15 |title=People are once again getting spammed by bizarre fake ads involving CTV host Mary Berg |url=https://dailyhive.com/canada/mary-berg-fake-x-ads |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=Daily Hive Canada |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Fletcher |first=Jack Reuben |date=2024-01-06 |title=Mary Berg Fake X Ads Controversy Here's What We Know So Far? |url=https://www.llanelliherald.com/15028/mary-berg-fake-x-ads-controversy-heres-what-we-know-so-far/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=The Llanelli Herald |language=en-US}} The Good Stuff addressed the ads on X on 5 January, writing "We are aware of the ongoing issue of fake advertisements targeting Mary Berg. We encourage our followers to remain vigilant against these deceptive ads and report suspicious content to the platform they're using." The ads were determined to be a cryptocurrency scam.{{Cite news |last=Casemore |first=Jamie |date=2024-01-18 |title=Why X is full of ads spouting false claims about CTV chef Mary Berg |url=https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/celebrity/x-mary-berg-fake-ads-crimes-cryptocurrency |access-date=2024-02-13 |work=National Post}}{{Cite web |last=Gault |first=Matthew |date=2024-01-17 |title=X Flooded With Bizarre Ads Smearing TV Chef to Promote Crypto Platform |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/qjvapw/x-twitter-mary-berg-ad-campaign-crypto |access-date=2024-02-14 |website=Vice |language=en}}

Bibliography

Kitchen Party: Effortless Recipes for Every Occasion (Appetite by Random House, 2019){{Cite web|title=Eight delicious recipes from Mary Berg's first-ever cookbook|url=https://www.theloop.ca/eight-delicious-recipes-from-mary-bergs-first-ever-cookbook/|date=11 September 2019|website=The Loop|language=en-US|access-date=9 May 2020}}
Well Seasoned: A Year's Worth of Delicious Recipes (Appetite by Random House, 2021){{Cite web|last=David|first=Greg|date=2021-08-18|title=New original culinary series Mary Makes it Easy premieres Sept. 6 on CTV Life Channel|url=https://www.tv-eh.com/2021/08/18/new-original-culinary-series-mary-makes-it-easy-premieres-sept-6-on-ctv-life-channel/|access-date=2021-09-06|website=www.tv-eh.com}}
In Mary’s Kitchen: Stress-Free Recipes for Every Home Cook (Appetite by Random House, 2023){{fact|date=February 2024}}

Filmography

= Television =

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Show

!Role

!Notes

2016

|MasterChef Canada

|self

|Season three winner

2018-2023

|The Marilyn Denis Show

|self

2018

|Star Trek: Discovery

|Culinary consultant

|Episode: Vaulting Ambition

2019-2020

|Mary's Kitchen Crush

|self

|host

2021-2023

|Mary Makes it Easy

|self

|host

2022-2023

|Cross Country Cake-Off

|self

|co-host

2023-pres.

|The Good Stuff with Mary Berg

|self

|host

Personal life

Berg lives in Toronto, Ontario, with her husband, engineer Aaron Mariash.{{Cite web |last=Bridges |first=Katie |date=2022-04-14 |title=At Home With... MasterChef Winner Mary Berg Has Cooked Up Her Dream House |url=https://storeys.com/at-home-with-masterchef-winner-mary-berg-cooks-up-dream-home/ |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=STOREYS |language=en}} She has been a pescatarian for more than 15 years, though she cooks meat on her show.{{Cite web|title='MasterChef Canada' winner Mary Berg show's first female champ|url=https://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/2016/06/20/masterchef-canada-champ-mary-berg-a-first-for-cooking-reality-show/wcm/1acf85e2-f5a2-48f8-af24-a42942f65690|last=Slotek|first=Jim|date=20 June 2016|website=Brantford Expositor|language=en-US|access-date=9 May 2020}}{{Cite web|title=Profiles of U of T alumni: hail to the chef!|url=https://www.utoronto.ca/news/profiles-u-t-alumni-hail-chef|last=Easton|first=Megan|date=23 November 2016|website=University of Toronto News|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020}}