Lesley Nicols
She's the beating heart of Downton, keeping the Granthams eating delicious dishes every day of the year, and wowing party guests with delightful dishes. Yes, without Mrs Patmore, Downton just wouldn't be Downton.
Despite the fact that Lesley Nicols, who plays Mrs Patmore, isn't a big cook in real life, like any actress it didn't take her long to get into character and become the kitchen matriarch we all know and love.
"Before we started filming I read a book about Edwardian country houses and did a lot of work with the shows historical adviser who really was invaluable."
"He taught us how to lay tables and described what it would be like working in a house like that and how important it as to get it right."
The shows historical adviser described job in the 'big house' ad "the best show in town," Lesley tells me.
"If people came to dinner they would have to go away thinking that was superb not just alright, so the stakes were high."
And with stakes so high it might explain why Mrs Patmore gets rather heated in the kitchen, with Daisy normally at the receiving end, "it's not because she's an old cow it's because she cares, she has to, she has to keep at the top of the game."
Although we only see snippets of meals being prepared, there is still a huge amount of detail that goes into these scenes.
"We have so many gorgeous cakes, they get made by the WI so they look real and homemade... we all get a bit tummy rumbly when they came out."
"If you get cakes etc that comes straight out of the packet it won't look that good but thanks to the WI we get some really great cakes. The set is always laden with vegetables and other foods."
Lesley assures me that the tummy rumbles soon disappear after a long day of shooting, when delish dishes start to smell anything but tasty, "We worked with lobster which stunk to high heaven by the end of the day. That soon stopped us from being peckish."
Despite playing a cook on Downton, Lesley rarely cooks at home. "I love watching cooks and seeing the way they put things together, and I can easily relate to that, it's just when I do it, it doesn't come out as good."
Despite this though, if she could cook the Granthams a dish of her choice she would cook "coq au vin, its lovely."
So what does the future hold for Mrs Patmore? A new range, cooking pots? "It's all in the hands of Julian Fellowes, I just hope to god he doesn't push her down a mine shaft yet!"
DOWNTON ABBEY: SERIES THREE is out on Blu-Ray and DVD now, courtesy of Universal Pictures.
Despite the fact that Lesley Nicols, who plays Mrs Patmore, isn't a big cook in real life, like any actress it didn't take her long to get into character and become the kitchen matriarch we all know and love.
"Before we started filming I read a book about Edwardian country houses and did a lot of work with the shows historical adviser who really was invaluable."
"He taught us how to lay tables and described what it would be like working in a house like that and how important it as to get it right."
The shows historical adviser described job in the 'big house' ad "the best show in town," Lesley tells me.
"If people came to dinner they would have to go away thinking that was superb not just alright, so the stakes were high."
And with stakes so high it might explain why Mrs Patmore gets rather heated in the kitchen, with Daisy normally at the receiving end, "it's not because she's an old cow it's because she cares, she has to, she has to keep at the top of the game."
Although we only see snippets of meals being prepared, there is still a huge amount of detail that goes into these scenes.
"We have so many gorgeous cakes, they get made by the WI so they look real and homemade... we all get a bit tummy rumbly when they came out."
Lesley assures me that the tummy rumbles soon disappear after a long day of shooting, when delish dishes start to smell anything but tasty, "We worked with lobster which stunk to high heaven by the end of the day. That soon stopped us from being peckish."
Despite playing a cook on Downton, Lesley rarely cooks at home. "I love watching cooks and seeing the way they put things together, and I can easily relate to that, it's just when I do it, it doesn't come out as good."
Despite this though, if she could cook the Granthams a dish of her choice she would cook "coq au vin, its lovely."
So what does the future hold for Mrs Patmore? A new range, cooking pots? "It's all in the hands of Julian Fellowes, I just hope to god he doesn't push her down a mine shaft yet!"
DOWNTON ABBEY: SERIES THREE is out on Blu-Ray and DVD now, courtesy of Universal Pictures.