Eton Mess - can you make it in advance?

[Frontpaw]

For school picnic? It would be made first thing at home for lunchtine but we don't have a fridge at school.

If I do it in small bowls, will it be sloppy sludge by 12?

If I was you I'd do the experiment - make up several bowls and eat at hourly intervals

You don't need to make it in advance. Crush the meringue, chop the strawberries and mix in the cream. You can do it there. I'd buy the cream at lunch time though, you don't want it to go off.

In a word, yes it will be sloppy sludge and all the meringue will have gone soft and squidgy too. Maybe someone else will be along with a genius solution but I haven't found one. You can freeze the meringue days in advance and just combine at the last minute from separate containers?

It will be sloppy sludge if made in advance. (I prefer my Eton mess with greek yoghurt rather than cream, by the way - much nicer!)

Bugger. There's only a finite number of recipes I can get away with saying 'its a regional variation' about. That's what I usually do when they go tits up!

Cool box might do it. Don't put the meringue in until the last minute though.

Bakewell tart?

I love bakewell tart but we can't use nuts. And there is no bakewell tart without nuts!

Regional cheeses? Stilton, wensleydale etc. Cheese board for pudding.

I want Eton Mess! It is pretty!

Pavlova can be made 1/2 a day in advance with no issues - I think the issue with Eton Mess is the fruit juices mixing with the meringue. So could you mix together the meringue and cream and just add the fruit at the last minute?