Mary Berry swapped her spatula for a shepherd’s crook to lead 20 sheep across London Bridge this morning.
The TV chef kicked off the annual Great Sheep Drive, which sees some 600 of London’s Freemen of the City exercise their ancient right to drive the animals over the bridge.
Berry, who was herself made a Freeman of the City in 2014, was joined by family members for the event, which aims to raise thousands of pounds for the Lord Mayor’s Appeal.
Despite some sheep choosing to go on ahead as she posed for photos, the former Great British Bake Off queen told the Press Association it went “like clockwork”.
“They were exceedingly well-behaved,” she said. “I think they’ve done it before.”
The bizarre sight of Berry on the bridge surrounded by the animals caused quite a commotion, with hordes of tourists taking photos and some left scratching their heads in bemusement.
Celebrity baker Mary Berry is followed by new Freemen of the City of London, as she herds sheep over London Bridge to help open the Wool Fair (Isabel Infantes/PA)
“A lot of people are here who will never have seen sheep other than a roast lamb on a Sunday,” she added.
“I think it’s great. There’s a lot of children here and it’s going to bring a lot of pleasure on a lovely Sunday morning.”
The ancient re-enactment is organised by the Worshipful Company of Woolmen as part of the annual Wool Fair.
London Bridge was once the city’s only river crossing and trading route, and the fair aims to promote the British wool industry.
Bill Clark, past master of the Worshipful Company of Woolmen, said: “Driving sheep over London Bridge by Freemen of the City is a tradition rooted in more than 800 years of the history of the Woolmen.
“Re-energising this old tradition provides a fun day-out for Londoners but it is also a reminder of the City of London’s important trading history.”