Mary Berry and Gregg Wallace are turning deep fat frying into a class war – and I'm with Mary

Only the British could turn something as unremarkable as a deep fat fryer into the latest weapon in the class war. Just as I thought we were becoming a more caring, open society, along comes one of those throwaway remarks to shatter this cosy illusion and expose deep divisions.

Nobody wants to be seen as working class these days – most people tell pollsters they regard themselves as middle class. But a recent spat between two popular television food presenters has exposed the deep-seated snobbery that is a fundamental part of the British psyche.

When Mary Berry, a woman who is regarded as sacrosanct as the Queen – stated “I don’t think any household should have a deep fat fryer” – adding that they were unhealthy and could be dangerous – all hell broke loose. Gregg Wallace, cheery ex-greengrocer and now Masterchef judge rose to the challenge, declaring that Mary was “attacking our British way of life”, claiming that spam fritters and chips were (like the Union Jack, Stonehenge and Winston Churchill, presumably) part of our heritage.

Mary Berry is quintessentially middle class, from her neat, no-nonsense flowery jackets, to her discreet pearls and her long-standing promotion of Aga cookers, which cost thousands of pounds. I am proud to own an Aga, which I saved up for, and adore more than any pet. I come from 100 per cent working class stock, but neither my mother nor I have used a deep fat fryer. I was given one with some second hand kitchen gadgets when I ran out of money to finish my kitchen, but it remained in the box until I moved house.

Claiming spam fritters are a “heritage dish” is risible. They are tasteless cheap muck and one of the reasons the average British arse is expanding, along with deep fried chocolate bars. Mary is pencil thin, and Greg Wallace has struggled with his weight over the years, so I am surprised he is defending chips in any form.

I can’t help feeling this spat has nothing to do with chips and everything to do with image. Mary’s appeal is classless – ten million people tune in to watch her facial ticks as she carefully assesses triumphs and tragedies on Bake Off each week. Gregg presents himself as an everyman, in touch with the average bloke down the pub. But life is not that simple – these days, we eat out more than ever and cook less. The old skills of feeding a family on a budget, preparing nutritious food from scratch, is something that Mary has always promoted.

Mr Wallace can shove his spam fritters, I’m siding with Mary – and so is the London Fire Brigade!