In 1996 Delia was awarded an Honorary degree by Nottingham University, a Fellowship from St Mary’s College (a college of the University of Surrey). The same year she entered the Royal Television Society Hall of Fame. In 1999 she received an Honorary degree from the University of East Anglia and in 2000, a Fellowship from John Moores University in Liverpool. In 2013 Delia was presented with a BAFTA Special Award in honour of her outstanding contribution to television cookery and services to broadcasting. This year my life has been dominated by a book. Not a cookery book, I hasten to add but a reflection on what it means to be human*. Delia Smith is Britain's bestselling cookery writer, whose books have sold over 21.5 million to date. She began her writing career 50 years ago on the Daily Mirror and since then has presented very many cookery series on television and published numerous bestselling cookery books including Delia Smith's Cookery Course, Summer and Winter Collections, The Vegetarian Collection, Delia's How to Cook and Delia's Happy Christmas among others. Born to Harold Bartlett Smith (1920–1999), an English RAF radio operator, and Welsh mother Etty Jones Lewis (1919–2020), [4] in Woking, Surrey, Smith attended Bexleyheath School, leaving at the age of 16 without a single O-level. [5] [6] Her first job was as a hairdresser; she also worked as a shop assistant and in a travel agency. [7] [8] Cookery career

Smith's first television appearances came in the early 1970s, as resident cook on BBC East's regional magazine programme Look East, shown on BBC One across East Anglia. Following this, she was offered her own cookery television show, Family Fare which ran between 1973 and 1975. It has been some time in the writing, but this year I actually finished it and it was published. And so I was introduced to the world of Literary Festivals. I had no idea how many of them there were, in every corner of the country. Then add the cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, dried fruits, mixed peel, nuts and zest’s. Now stir and bring the mixture up to simmering point, then, keeping the heat low, simmer very gently for 10 minutes. After that allow everything to cool then pour the mixture into an airtight plastic container and leave it in a cool place overnight. Remember to take the butter out of the fridge so it will soften. Lezard, Nicholas (11 December 1999). "Profile Delia Smith: Simmer gently, do not boil". The Independent . Retrieved 13 November 2016.Davies, Caroline (2 April 2016). "New faces on Sgt Pepper album cover for artist Peter Blake's 80th birthday". The Guardian. In 1996, Smith was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Nottingham, a fellowship from St Mary's University College (a college of the University of Surrey) and a Fellowship from the Royal Television Society. In 1999 she received an honorary degree from the University of East Anglia and in 2000, a fellowship from Liverpool John Moores University. Delia Smith: 'The world is in chaos… but together we have such power' ". TheGuardian.com. 6 March 2022. In March 2010, Smith and Heston Blumenthal were signed up to appear in a series of 40 commercials on British television for the supermarket chain Waitrose. [12] Place the ladle, now gently flaming, on top of the pudding - but don't pour it over until you reach the table (if you don't have a gas hob, warm the brandy in a small saucepan). When you do, pour it slowly over the pudding, sides and all and watch it flame to the cheers of the assembled company! When both flames and cheers have died down, serve the pudding with Christmas Rum Sauce, Cumberland Rum Butter or Brown Sugar Brandy Butter - see below.

DELIA’S HAPPY CHRISTMAS, was published by Ebury Press (October 2009). She made a 1 hour Christmas special capturing an audience of nearly 4 million viewers. From 1993-1998 she worked as a behind-the-scenes consultant for Sainsbury's. In May 1993 she and her husband, Michael Wynn Jones, launched New Crane Publishing, which produced the Sainsbury's Magazine. Delia was Consultant Director and contributed her own recipes. Sainsbury's Magazine had an official readership of 3.4 million. In 2005 Delia and Michael sold New Crane Publishing. In 2008, Hodder & Stoughton brought out DELIA’S FRUGAL FOOD, a new, updated edition of her earlier FRUGAL FOOD. All income goes to CAFOD. Delia Ann Smith CH CBE (born 18 June 1941) is an English cook and television presenter, known for teaching basic cookery skills in a no-nonsense style. One of the best known celebrity chefs in British popular culture, Smith has influenced viewers to become more culinarily adventurous. [1] [2] She is also famous for her role as joint majority shareholder at Norwich City F.C. [3] Early lifeSmith became a recognisable figure amongst young people in the 1970s and early 1980s when she was an occasional guest on the BBC's Saturday morning children's programme Multicoloured Swap Shop, giving basic cooking demonstrations. Newly married in the summer, I was tasked with cooking Christmas dinner by myself for the first time this year, and this book was invaluable. In 1969 Delia was taken on as the cookery writer for the Daily Mirror's new magazine. Their Deputy Editor was Michael Wynn Jones whom she later married. It is not well known that she baked the cake which was used on the cover of The Rolling Stones’ album Let It Bleed that year. A year later, in response to numerous requests to collect her vegetarian recipes in one volume, DELIA’S VEGETARIAN COLLECTION was published with new recipes to reflect changes in modern day cooking. It has sold over 400,000 copies.

May I wish you, then, a slightly merrier Christmas and, as ever, thank you for your marvellous support of Deliaonline throughout the year. The bit I really wanted the book for, however, was the chapter called, "The Last Thirty Six Hours," which talks you minute by minute through cooking the Christmas Dinner, from early on Christmas Even, including breaks for watching a carol service, opening presents, having the neighbours round and having a glass of champagne! I followed this almost to the letter, making everything from scratch (cranberry sauce, gravy, stuffing, bread sauce etc) and it didn't let me down. So, so useful.Dried fruits: We have discovered a supplier who will provide everything you need with superb quality, for example pinhead currants, which are smaller and contain fewer seeds, Lexia raisins which are made from dried Muscat grapes, whole candied peels and many others.

Delia returned to television in 1990, this time to help us through the daunting task of cooking for Christmas. The book of the series, DELIA SMITH'S CHRISTMAS has sold over 1,500,000 copies. In January 2010, the BBC aired 5 x ½ hour programmes, Delia Through the Decades, exploring her 40 career and the way she has affected the nation’s eating habits. Smith was baptised in the Church of England, and attended a Methodist Sunday School, a Congregationalist Brownie group and later a Church of England youth group. At the age of twenty-two, she converted to Catholicism. Her first two short religious books, A Feast for Lent (1983) and A Feast for Advent (1983), are readings and reflections for these seasons. In 1988, she wrote a longer book on prayer, A Journey into God. In 1969 Smith was taken on as the cookery writer for the Daily Mirror's newly launched magazine. Their deputy editor was Michael Wynn-Jones, whom she later married. Her first piece featured kipper pâté, beef in beer and cheesecake. She baked the cake that was used on the cover of The Rolling Stones' album Let It Bleed. [9] In 1972 Smith started a column in the Evening Standard. She later defected to the rival Evening News, but she returned to the Standard when that newspaper bought out the News. She wrote for both for 12 years; later she wrote a column for the Radio Times until 1986. Travelling to many of them (this was the era before train strikes!) was often rewarding: there were some fine speakers and it was wonderful to meet all those who - believe it or not - turned up to listen to me. How much the message got through I don’t know but it is essentially an optimistic book showing (to quote the publisher’s blurb) ‘how in unity with one another we can build a future in these uncertain times’.DELIA’S KITCHEN GARDEN, written with Gay Search, was published in the Autumn of 2004. Inspired by her new kitchen garden at home in Suffolk, Delia wanted to create a book that told people, not only how to grow their own fruit and vegetables month by month, but also how to incorporate them into seasonal recipes. Delia received the Guild of Food Writers prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at its 25th Awards Ceremony in June 2023. The award was given in recognition of her imagination and creativity, her dedication to good, honest food and her uncomprimising attention to detail. Wallop, Harry (3 March 2010). "Delia Smith and Heston Blumenthal to star in Waitrose ads". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 7 March 2010. At 21, she started work in a small restaurant in Paddington, initially washing dishes before moving on to waitressing and eventually being allowed to help with the cooking. She started reading English cookery books in the Reading Room at the British Museum, trying out the recipes on a Harley Street family with whom she was living.