A British Summer Dessert That Doesn't Have to Be Perfect

New York Times

17 hours ago

Culinary legend has it that Eton mess — a mixture of whipped cream, broken meringues and fresh berries — was invented in the 1920s, when an overexcited dog crushed a meringue confection at the British boarding school that shares its name with the dessert. In reality, the recipe dates back at least to the 19th century, when it appeared on a menu served to Queen Victoria as Eton Mess aux Fraises. Either way, the sweet is quintessentially British and, for the fashion designer turned ceramics artist Henry Holland, 42, a delicious reminder of his childhood in Ramsbottom, a small town near Manchester where he often made Eton mess with his mother using berries from their garden. 'You can help with it when you're really young because the whole point is making a mess,' he says.
On a warm day in June, Holland was preparing his own version — which features vanilla and orange blossom-flavored whipped cream and a sprinkle of chopped mint — for the other ceramists working at his studio in Hackney, in East London. The serving vessel, a blue-and-white platter, was from his latest collection of gingham-patterned pottery, which also includes vases named for his favorite desserts: Battenberg, Pavlova and, of course, Eton.
Holland first started working with clay when — after closing his 13-year-old fashion label, House of Holland, in 2020 — he took a class on a whim and quickly found himself 'addicted to the medium,' he says. He began posting pieces for sale on his Instagram page, and the London department store Liberty placed an order, prompting him to launch his own studio in 2021. With bold silhouettes and a bright color palette, the line is inspired by Holland's love for the Memphis Group and Art Deco design. He uses the Japanese technique of nerikomi — which involves layering and rolling together pieces of clay in various colors — to create swirling patterns.
Over the past four years, Holland has expanded his offerings to include lighting, glassware, wallpaper and fabric, and he has plans to debut furniture in the near future. Still, his schedule remains less frantic than it once was: he aims to release one new collection every eighteen months, as opposed to the four per year expected by the fashion industry. The happy result: more time to host friends at his home in London's Victoria Park neighborhood, which he shares with his husband and business partner, David Hodgson, 43. In the summer, a simple garden salad and barbecued meats are often followed by heaps of Eton mess. 'It's always well received,' he says. 'Who doesn't love a bit of cream and sugar?'
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