La Meringaie A story of passion.
Key dates
Marie and Benoît take the plunge and open their first shop in Paris, located in the bustling Rue de Lévis in the 17th arrondissement. From the moment they open their doors, they are swarmed by eager customers. Simultaneously, they launch their online store, lameringaie.com
Release of the book 'PAVLOVA, favorite recipes
from La Meringaie,' published by Editions de La Martinière. The recipe book focusing on pavlova and meringue that Marie wished she had 15 years ago.
La Meringaie expands with the opening of its second shop at 41 Rue du Cherche-Midi, in the 6th arrondissement, just a stone's throw away from La Grande Epicerie, a haven for food lovers.
The family grows, and La Meringaie opens its third shop at 35 Rue des Martyrs in the 9th arrondissement of Paris.
And now, the fourth shop, the second on the left bank of the Seine, at 8 Rue Daguerre, in the 14th arrondissement. Always a taste for foodie streets.
Pavlova and meringue
Let's begin with a few history steps: French, Italian, and Swiss, and the history is rich in hypotheses about its origins.
Igf we try to shed some light on it: Originally, it's a cake created in 1720, in Mehringhen, a small town in the Duchy of Saxe-Cobourg-Gotha, by a certain Casparini. Some hypotheses already associated this meringue with Chantilly cream.
Later on, Marie-Antoinette herself whipped the cream onto what had become vacherins. She loved dressing as a peasant for the occasion; it was very trendy at the court of Versailles.
Closer to our time, Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova during a triumphant tour in Australasia in the 1920s inspired a dessert for Australians, or perhaps New Zealanders – it's not entirely clear. The specificity of this pastry, the Pavlova, is to combine soft meringue with Chantilly cream and fresh fruit. It has become, nearly a century later, the special Christmas cake of our Australian and New Zealander friends.
So, what makes La Meringaie's meringue so special?
Firstly, it's crispy on the outside and soft inside.
Secondly, it has its own unique flavor that gives it character when tasted alone. This unique flavor pairs perfectly with the creams and fresh fruits that make up our various recipes. To maintain a connection with the origins of meringue, we chose to name our meringues after very popular names in the 18th century: Pélagie, Félicité, and other Euphrasie mingle with Eulalie, Sidonie, or even Honorine.
Atelier and Boutiques
All products are made in the central workshop in the 17th arrondissement of Paris and then delivered daily to the shops to create pavlovas on-site.
Every week, there are 5 pavlova creations, 2 permanent and 3 seasonal recipes, varying according to inspiration, events, and of course, seasonal fruits.
Each customer can also customize their pavlova by choosing their preferred whipped creams and fruits.
Le concept
The Team
For Marie and Benoît, meringue holds a special place in their hearts, stemming from childhood memories and their wedding dessert. It's also a shared passion for gastronomy, which became Marie's profession after working at La Maison du Chocolat and Fauchon. Years later, they both wanted to open shops dedicated to their favorite dessert, meringue and pavlova.
No entrepreneurial venture is possible without a stellar team. They surround themselves with a "family" who shares their passion, love for food, and conviviality.
At the beginning, there was Charlotte, Marie's cousin, the pastry chef, Gilles Marchal, their friend and mentor, and Olivier Desdoigts, the talented creator of La Meringaie's identity.
And today, a whole team: the pastry chefs, the in-store teams. Some have been with La Meringaie for over 5 years and have grown with us. Others are newer to us and to the profession. Each brings their good spirits and desire to excel. Without them, La Meringaie wouldn't have come this far.
Our partners
Our motto : trying to improve our sourcing all the time : more local, more direct
Egg, butter and cream
As close as possible
Eggs come from north of Paris, butter and cream from Normandy
Raspberries from South West of France
Direct from the producer
For 8 months of the year, the raspberries come from Gérard Boissiéras' plantation, in Corrèze, int the South West of France. They are Tulameen, a particularly fragrant variety. What a delight.
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Fresh fruits
Strawberries direct from producer
Our strawberries, grown in open fields, come from Sologne at the beginning of the season, in May, directly from the plantation of a childhood friend of Benoît.
Then in June and July, they come from a plantation South of Paris.