Right this moment I have to say I deserve something amazing. Like totally amazing.

Like an Eton mess, complete with fresh strawberries and blueberries and generous scoops of Häagen Dazs vanilla ice cream.

YEAH.

Why do I deserve such awesomeness? Well because today I worked. For free. I helped out at the Bea’s of Bloomsbury stand at Taste of London, and ok so I thought it would be six hours of chit-chatting and cupcake swapping but oh-mother-of-my-lazy-punk-ass-ness, it was not that at all.

Call me soft, but we worked so hard today that it’s now 9pm and my back, my arms and how the f**k I don’t know but my butt hurts!

The stand was totally amazing though. Bea and her crazy super team brought in dozens of boxes of freshly made (from the wee hours of the morning) cupcakes just for the show, and we piled the gorgeous little devils into sets of fantastic vintage-style drawers that drew in the crowds but ah, goddamn that clear glass which brings you so close but oh so far from utter deliciousness.

We sold cupcakes and lychee & raspberry martinis til we had to laugh or we really would have cried. Who knew selling cupcakes would be such hard work?

Another star of the Bea’s booth were the meringues. Monster-sized fluffs of sugar, covered in raspberry purée. I mean, really. Oh my god YUM.

Delirious and tired and strangely very satisfied, I managed to sneak home with four cupcakes and one giant meringue and after scoffing down some pizza for dinner, I’m now sitting here with my Eton mess, made with non other than Bea’s monster meringues which I’m sure makes it all the more perfect.

I’m going back to the Taste festival tomorrow but for fun and I am bursting at the seams, crazy excited to lose myself in all of the deliciousness on offer. Stay tuned, I’m sure there will be a blog post 😉

ps. Here’s a better blog and more detailed recipe for a traditional Eton mess.

Eton mess
Meringue
Fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberries)
Thickened cream, clotted cream or ice cream
  1. Mash up some meringue and place in serving glasses or bowls.
  2. Add thickened cream, clotted cream and/or ice cream.
  3. Top with fresh fruit.
Serves how ever many you want!

14 Thoughts on “eton mess deliciousness: my reward for working at Bea’s of Bloomsbury, Taste of London

  1. you had me laughing out loud earlier at your eaton mess tweet… “holy delicious batman” !! 🙂 seriously, with these photos above, i totally hear you !! oooh how i SO want one of those mega meringues. and a cupcake, or two. Y U M ! bea’s was totally on my london list, but didn’t have a chance to get there. i was distracted by chocolate. oh, and fbc ! rock on for your hard work today. i’ll remember this post if anyone ever asks me nice and casually to “help run a cupcake stand” – i’ll run the other way. ha ha !

  2. OOPS – talk about me being hungry for an ETON mess. i called it an EATon mess ! ! 🙂

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  4. Kerrin you are too funny hahaha and I think Eaton mess is a way better name for it 😀 Bea’s is great, I can now recite the whole spiel about Italian buttercream frosting but honestly, it is better than icing frosting – next time you’re in London, we’re so going! 😀

  5. you’ve got yourself a date. enjoy a cupcake and meringue and another cupcake and a good ole EATON mess for me 🙂 … until we devour all the above together one day !

  6. Wow! That stand looks amazing. I love those vintage drawers, they remind me of an old fashioned haberdashery. The beautiful purple blackberry cupcakes are calling to me. Shame about the diet, right?

  7. Yinnie on June 20, 2010 at 10:17 pm said:

    OH my god, I missed it this year. No £££ to spend LOl. Is that how i can get in for free, working in a stall? if so, I am SO doing that!

    Photos are amazing, can’t wait to see your pictures from your actual free day at taste of london

  8. I can do with some of that right now. That looks mouth watering. And of course, well deserved.

  9. Oh – Bea’s stand was gorgeous! Good on you for helping out 🙂

  10. Eton Mess. My favourite English dessert. I’m in love.

  11. Hey Cat!!

    Thanks for helping out that day (sorry I’ve been so ridiculously behind on catching up with blogs, etc)

    You and Mark rocked it out! Still planning the big to-do now that Mark’s back in town–I’m thinking we do big dinner at the shop and then bowling? Or Assa and take up a karaoke room? Or St. John Spitalfields and order everything off the menu?

  12. penny: and the best thing about eton messes is that they’re SO simple to throw together.. well, with store-bought meringue anyway 😉

    Niamh: Thanks 🙂 It was gorgeous and hard work was well worth it!

    Mathilde: I can see why. Simple, easy and delicious! 🙂

    Bea: I haven’t been to Assa and would love to go there but am also easy with what anyone else wants to do. St John also sounds good – whole suckling pig?? 🙂

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