Eton Mess: An Intriguing and Messy History of Rivalry

This post is part of the History of Food series, a revived project from 2021 that explores the origin stories of traditional dishes, the lessons they can teach us, and the people who keep the food alive. In each post, we visit a restaurant that puts their spin on a classic dish. 

Misfortune can spur innovation.

During an annual cricket match between rivals Eton and Harrow in the 1930s, an unexpected event occurred. According to the legend, a dog accidentally crushed a pavlova.

The organisers served resulting “mess” of strawberry, whipped cream and meringue anyway, and thus the Eton Mess was born.

A fun story, but it’s probably not true. Why?

There’s a reference to the dish as early as 1894.

The story likely stems from the dessert’s similarities to pavlova, a dessert originating from either New Zealand or Australia.

In fact, beyond its messy appearance, it’s unclear what the difference is. For example, Jamie Oliver’s Eton Mess is literally just a pavlova.

But, confusingly, the Eton Mess came first.

The pavlova was invented in the 20th century, way after the first references to Eton Mess can be found in cookbooks and newspapers.

The problem is that we don’t really know what that early Eton Mess looked like.

The dish is described in 1894 as “Eton Mess [with strawberries]”, implying that other versions existed. Heston Blumenthal argues that the original dish may have been served with banana. It’s also believed that meringue was a later addition.

As Dara Goldstein argues, “it’s misguided to believe that recipes are invented. Rather, recipes evolve over time, often in more than one location.”

In fact, the pavlova is a derivative of the 18th century German/Austrian “Schaum Torte“.

The cake spread across the world during the Napoleonic Wars and the build up to the Second World War as Europeans migrated to escape persecution – taking their traditional recipes with them.

Thus, it’s more likely that the pavlova was not “invented” at all, but rather inspired by a dessert that already existed. The same is likely true for Eton Mess.

Eton Mess at Blackfriars Restaurant, Newcastle upon Tyne

Regardless of its origin, the Eton Mess is a delight to the senses. Though best enjoyed al fresco, I recently tried a variant of the dish at the Blackfriars Restaurant in the UK’s oldest dining room. The venue claims to have roots going back to 1239.

Their spin on the dish, served with a basil whipped cream, intrigued me.

After a delicious squash soup starter and tomato tart main course, it perfectly rounded off the meal. But great as it was, Blumenthal may have been right when he described the Eton Mess as “quite simply impossible to improve upon.”