Simply Pavlova

My name is Eleanor Watkins and I’m from Louisville Kentucky, USA. When I moved over to the UK to pursue an MSc in food science, I had actually never heard of pavlova! I ate pavlova for the first time when my mother-in-law made it for me, and I was in love. I love the simplicity of meringue, cream, and fruit.

After several years of eating pavlovas, I finally thought about creating a make your own pavlova bar, and so, simply Pavlova was born and I became a food entrepreneur.

My passion isn’t specifically about patisserie or desserts, but rather cooking in general. Prior to moving to the UK, I worked as a chef in restaurants for five years. With my culinary and scientific background, I experimented to find the best way to make the perfect meringue for a pavlova.

The perfect meringue is the secret to any pavlova. I like them snow white in colour (if they aren’t flavoured!), crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle. I also think a great sauce, like our salted caramel or berry coulis, sets it apart and makes it a special dessert. The origin of pavlova is a bit of a contentious subject – with both Australia and New Zealand claiming to be the birthplace of pavlova.

We love Mercato Metropolitano because it isn’t just a food market in London, but a dedicated social enterprise committed to teaching the importance of how to create great food. Our first goal with Simply Pavlova is to create high-quality desserts, but we too are committed to educating people on how to make quality food. This is why we jumped at the chance to host a Make your own Pavlova class with Mercato Metropolitano, as well as do a three-weekend pop up.