A new gourmet marshmallow boutique will soon be setting up shop at Easton for the holidays.
When Michelle Allen, MMELO owner, became a mother, she realized there were quite a few common candy ingredients she didn’t want her children consuming. She started reading up on food science techniques to make healthier homemade candy, and ended up falling in love with the art of candy-making — specifically, marshmallows.
“Once I made them, I realized what amazing little confectionery miracles they really are,” said Allen. “The flavor release on a well-crafted marshmallow is truly delightful!”
Born and raised in Columbus, Allen lived in NYC and Barcelona for 14 years before heading back to her home town. Allen has developed and refined her confectionary technique for three years. She got her start in Barcelona, and has been baking out of the Food Fort for the past fourteen months. She just landed a holiday spot at Easton, marking her first pop-up brick and mortar opportunity.
Allen’s marshmallow ingredients are all organic, with no GMO products, artificial flavors, or unpronounceable names. High fructose corn syrup is swapped out with organic inverted cane sugar, while arrowroot replaces powdered sugar.
“I have a very strict ‘no junk’ policy for my food,” said Allen. “I use natural ingredients to create our simple, clean, authentic flavors. For me, that lays at the heart of my approach to the craft.”
MMELO’s event collection will be, naturally, focused around fall, winter, and holiday themes. In addition to their signature marshmallows, MMELO will also sell a collection of tea cakes, inspired by Allen’s husband’s English heritage. The cakes will consist of shortbread, topped with a dollop of marshmallow or caramel, then covered in chocolate. One variety to look forward to is a curry-infused caramel atop pistachio shortbread, enrobed in dark chocolate.
Allen plans to expand MMELO to a permanent brick and mortar confectionary cafe after their holiday operation. The store will be located at 4165 The Strand West, between the Louis Vuitton and Michael Kors stores.
For more information, visit www.mmelo.co.
To hear more about the business side of MMELO, CLICK HERE to visit The Metropreneur.
All photos via MMELO.
