Paul J M Hunnings is the husband of Dame Mary Berry, the British cookery writer and former Great British Bake Off judge. They married in 1966. Before he retired, he worked first in the drinks trade and then as an antiquarian bookseller. He has never looked for publicity, so most of what is known about him comes from Mary’s interviews and memoir.
That is why so many pages about him are thin or made up. This profile keeps to what has been reported publicly. Where a detail is unconfirmed, we say so.
Who Is Paul J M Hunnings?
Paul Hunnings is known mainly as Mary Berry’s husband and the father of their three children. In his own right he was a businessman. He worked for Harvey’s of Bristol, the wine and sherry merchant behind Bristol Cream, and later dealt in rare and antiquarian books.
Most people search for him after seeing Mary on television or reading about her long marriage. Interest also rises around her birthdays, her anniversaries and her new series.
Paul Hunnings: quick facts
| Detail | What’s reported | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Paul J M Hunnings (usually reported simply as Paul Hunnings) | Confirmed |
| Known for | Husband of Dame Mary Berry | Confirmed |
| Born | Early 1930s (some sites give March 1932) | Unverified |
| Occupation | Harvey’s of Bristol, then antiquarian bookseller (now retired) | Widely reported |
| Married | Mary Berry, 1966 | Confirmed |
| Children | William (died 1989), Thomas and Annabel | Confirmed |
| Home | The Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire area, near the Thames | Reported only in general terms |
| Net worth | No reliable figure exists | Unverified |
Early Life and Background
Very little is documented about Paul’s early life. Several scraped biography sites give a birth date of March 1932. None of them cites a source, and the date doesn’t appear in mainstream reporting. Interviews with Mary over the years usually describe him as a few years older than her. Mary was born in March 1935, so a birth in the early 1930s fits, but the exact date is unconfirmed.
No reliable source covers his schooling, his parents or where he grew up. Pages that list these details, or his height, weight and “measurements”, are padding. Treat them with caution.
Career Highlights: From Sherry to Rare Books
Harvey’s of Bristol
Paul’s best-documented early job was with Harvey’s of Bristol, the long-established wine merchant best known for Harvey’s Bristol Cream sherry. In the post-war decades it was one of the most recognisable names in the British drinks trade. Profiles of the couple say he was working there when he met Mary in the 1960s.
His exact role and the years he spent there are not on public record. Some articles call him a businessman or a wine merchant, and both labels fit that work.
Antiquarian bookseller
Paul later became an antiquarian bookseller, buying and selling rare, old and collectable books. The trade relies on specialist knowledge, years of contacts and patience. Many dealers work quietly from home or through fairs and catalogues rather than from a shopfront, which suits a man who has always stayed out of the public eye.
No reliable source names a business or a speciality for him. Mary has mentioned his love of books in interviews, and that matches his second career.
Working alongside a famous spouse
Mary’s fame grew steadily from the 1960s and 1970s through cookbooks, magazine work and television. It peaked with The Great British Bake Off from 2010. Paul kept his own career separate. In interviews Mary has described him as supportive but not interested in the limelight. He doesn’t appear on her shows and doesn’t give interviews himself. He is now retired.
Personal and Family Life
Marriage to Mary Berry
Paul and Mary married in 1966. Mary has said he proposed more than once before she accepted. Hello! magazine’s account of their marriage puts it at three proposals. She has spoken of their relationship with affection and humour, and has described a marriage built on quiet companionship rather than shared public life.
The marriage passed 50 years in 2016, and 2026 marks roughly 60 years since the wedding. That makes them one of the longest-married couples in British TV food. If you like reading about couples who stay together for decades, our profile of Gabriella Wesberry, Mick Hucknall’s wife covers another relationship that has stayed mostly private.
Their children: Thomas, Annabel and William
The couple have three children: William, Thomas and Annabel.
In 1989 their son William died in a car accident. He was 19. His sister Annabel was in the car and survived. Mary has spoken openly about the loss over the years. She has said grief never really goes away, and that the family coped by holding together and keeping busy. Paul has not spoken publicly about it.
Thomas and Annabel have mostly stayed out of the public eye, although Mary sometimes mentions them and her grandchildren in interviews and on her programmes. For another TV family that deals with fame quietly, see our guide to Gordon Ramsay’s siblings and family.
Where do Paul Hunnings and Mary Berry live?
For decades the family lived in Buckinghamshire, and Mary’s home there was often mentioned in interviews and features. Later reports said the couple had downsized to a property in the Henley-on-Thames area. We aren’t giving more detail. The exact address is private, and you don’t need it to understand who Paul is.
Key dates timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| Early 1930s | Paul Hunnings born (exact date unverified) |
| 1935 | Mary Berry born in Bath |
| 1960s | Paul working for Harvey’s of Bristol; meets Mary |
| 1966 | Paul and Mary marry |
| Late 1960s–1970s | Children William, Thomas and Annabel born |
| 1989 | Son William dies in a car accident, aged 19 |
| 2010 | The Great British Bake Off launches; interest in Mary’s family grows |
| 2016 | Golden wedding anniversary (50 years) |
| 2021 | Mary Berry made a Dame |
| 2026 | Around 60 years married |
What Is Paul Hunnings Doing Now?
Paul is retired and stays out of public life. He doesn’t use social media, hasn’t published anything, and doesn’t appear in Mary’s television work. Most recent mentions of him come from Mary, who sometimes refers to him in interviews and in her books, usually in passing and fondly.
So there is nothing to report under “latest projects”. If a site claims to have news about his health or activities without naming a source, be sceptical.
A word on net-worth and health claims
Many pages quote a figure for Paul Hunnings’ net worth. None of them is reliable. He is a private individual and his finances have never been made public. Any figure you see is an estimate at best and invented at worst. The same goes for claims about his health. Unless Mary or her representatives have said something publicly, no reliable information exists.
We take the same approach with other private people linked to well-known names, such as our profile of Vasoulla Harman, Jasmine Harman’s mother.
A Long Marriage in the Public Eye
Paul and Mary’s marriage is often held up as a counterpoint to celebrity relationships that play out in the press. What stands out is not a big wedding story but how long it has lasted and how quiet it has been. One partner became a national figure while the other kept working at his own trade.
That is worth noting if you’re reading our wedding and relationship coverage. A marriage that lasts decades rarely makes headlines, because it rarely does anything dramatic in public. For a very different kind of wedding story, see our report on Andrew Mountbatten Windsor reportedly being excluded from Peter Phillips’ wedding.
Sources and Verification
This profile is based on Mary Berry’s own public interviews and memoir, and on mainstream coverage including Hello! magazine’s features on the couple. We have left out details that appear only on uncited biography and “net worth” sites, and we have labelled reported but unconfirmed details, such as Paul’s birth date, in the tables above. Last reviewed: October 2026.
FAQs
Who is Paul J M Hunnings?
Paul Hunnings is the husband of Dame Mary Berry, the cookery writer and former Great British Bake Off judge. They married in 1966. He worked for the wine and sherry merchant Harvey’s of Bristol and later as an antiquarian bookseller. He is now retired.
What is Paul Hunnings famous for?
He is known mainly as Mary Berry’s husband of around 60 years. He also had his own career in the drinks trade and in rare books, but he has never sought publicity.
Are Paul Hunnings and Mary Berry still married?
Yes. They married in 1966, and there are no credible reports that they have separated. 2026 marks roughly 60 years of marriage.
How many children do Mary Berry and Paul Hunnings have?
They have three children: Thomas, Annabel and William. William died in a car accident in 1989, aged 19.
Where is Paul Hunnings from, and where does he live?
His exact birthplace isn’t documented in reliable sources. He and Mary lived in Buckinghamshire for many years and have been reported to have moved to the Henley-on-Thames area.
What is Paul Hunnings’ net worth?
No reliable figure exists. He is a private, retired businessman and his finances have never been made public, so any number you see online is a guess.
