Sweet as

The Kiwi connection in one of London’s most popular up and coming bite-sized treats  
 
Meringue Girls are making meringues cool again. What were historically reserved for high teas and ladies luncheons are now popping up amongst London’s elite culinary trendsetters. Mallowy in the middle, with a melt in the mouth texture two British based sweethearts are handcrafting a name for themselves in the London baking scene.
 
One half of Meringue Girls, Alex Hoffler is London born and bred. Following University and two years working at a major London marketing agency, Alex travelled extensively for a year taking cookery courses in India, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. She had the light bulb moment, and her passion for cooking was fully cemented. Alex completed a years' course at the prestigious Leiths School of Food & Wine; where she achieved a first class diploma. Alex was working as a Sous Chef, where she met Stacey O'Gorman – and the rest is history.


Stacey, an Auckland born foodie trained at Auckland University of Technology, achieving a diploma in Culinary Arts before setting up her own successful private catering business providing high-end canapés for a wide range of clients. Not wishing to rest on her laurels and ever driven to widen her experience, Stacey took a year out to explore the culinary world, honing her skills in kitchens along the way. It was in one such kitchen that she met Alex and found someone with whom she shared the same epicurean passion and a partnership was born. Now settled in London, Stacey's divides her time between the Meringue Girls and food styling. So is it just coincidence that Stacey has had such success with the meringue, a close relative of the pavlova – a famously Kiwi dish…
 
Meringue Girls ‘big break’ came after they entered to go on the show ‘Cooks to Market’, a British ‘Dragons Den’ meets ‘The Apprentice’ television show for foodies. The Meringue Girls idea won the new foodie product and their success has been non-stop ever since. Religiously following a ‘quality over quantity’ model for the past year their product niche (the melt in the middle, chewy factor) has set them high above the dry and chalky norms throughout their market.  
“We put a lot of love into our meringues, using the best all natural ingredients and free range eggs.”
 
While there is no methodical plan to their alchemy, the couple’s ‘Willy Wonka’ creative flair means the flavour possibilities are endless!
“We are always conjuring up new flavours and doing experimental foodie events, and having to change our flavours in accordance to the season. For example, for Feast Festival we came up with Pina Colada and Gin and Tonic, and we have new flavours coming up for Christmas.
“We are always doing bespoke orders for our customers, for example for Marie Claire we have created pink raspberry and gin flavour as a special flavour for their birthday party.”
 
The pair’s first cookbook (out this month) aims to demystify meringues which are notoriously hard to make, showing people the easy and fail-proof way to make meringues every time.
“The book shares our fresh, modern and colourful take on classic meringue recipes, giving them a Meringue Girls twist with exciting flavour combinations.
“A lot of people don't understand how we colour the meringues, which as secret that we have revealed in our cookbook!”
 
This is the first ever UK Cookbook to feature augmented reality. Use your smartphone and scan the relevant pages of the book to access unique, interactive content.
“We had to get some media training as being in front of the camera is a whole different ball game! We hope it gives the cookbook a new, exciting and unique level.”
 
With plans to shortly open a Meringue Girls bakery in Broadway Market, write another cookbook and with a potential TV show in the works these girls’ egg whites and sugar aren’t going stale anytime soon.

www.meringuegirls.co.uk
 
You have achieved tremendous success having worked with amazing clients including: Vogue Night Out, Whistles, Alexander McQueen, River Island, L’Oreal, Elle and Marie Claire. What 3 pieces of advice could you give other keen New Zealand foodies to try their luck at breaking the international market?
1. Go into business as a partnership, so that you have someone to bounce around ideas with.
2. If a lucky opportunity comes your way, don't be afraid to go for it.
3. It's really important to network when you first  start out in a new country and get yourself known. This is where important opportunities and job leads come from.