Miss Pavlova: descovering new flavours in an old Invicta
In another edition of Food & Drinks, Porto Tasty had the opportunity to know the space and to taste the sweet that is having so much success.
It is at number 13 of Rua do Almada that anyone can taste one of the most improbable sweets of the city of Porto. Pavlova was born in social networks and the success of the concept led to it had its own store. We talked to Ana Maio, the creator of the brand Miss Pavlova.
After all, what are the Pavlovas and where can we find them?
The name may not be known to most Portuguese, but the famous dessert joins a crispy meringue to the creaminess of the filling. The great secret is the balance of flavors, which can be diversified, from the acidic touch of the lime to the intense taste of chocolate. The name, of Russian origin, is a tribute to the dancer Anna Pavlova, having arisen in century XIX.
The space, opened since 2015, is located at the back of another store and is mostly covered by stone, furnished by tables and tables that give it a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere. The window at the entrance makes the Pavlovas very visible, so the customer immediately realizes what the house's specialty is. An esplanade, covered in its upper part and molded to a cozy atmosphere is a wise choice, even for the rainy days.
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| The Miss Pavlova pastry shop can be found at number 13 of Rua do Almada |
The emergence of the concept
Ana Maio explains that the idea came when she became unemployed. At a relatively complicated time to get a job, she explains: "I thought it was the ideal opportunity. In times of crisis we talk a lot about creating our own opportunities and I wanted to create mine. "
Licensed in the area of graphic design and advertising, she decided to enter the pastry business, which she is passionate about. To reach the level in which it is, she says that the information that was obtained through reading and research was essential for the creation of the brand and the achievement of success. In the area of communication, the focus on the monoproduct was, in logistic terms, essential: "I knew it was much easier if it was a monoproduct for me".
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| The establishment was decorated with paintings alluding to the theme of pastry |
"Pavlova was even in Masterchef [...] I started to take Pavlova to relatives and everybody started asking me to take it and nobody knew Even the name ".
The advantage, she explains, is the differentiation and the ease of capturing the name. The unfolding of the product in various flavors was also one of its benefits.
In the absence of funding, she said that contacts in the professional environment in which he was inserted and his academic training contributed to alleviate this difficulty, mainly in the dissemination of the product, both in the press and in television, which helped to catapult the project.
The Porto people and the knowledge of the sweet
"I felt like I did almost a job of democratizing Pavlova." This is how Ana responds to the question, stating that there was no knowledge in Portugal of the existence of the desserte, and recalls that after four years the scenario is no longer the same. For this, she explains, the press was fundamental in terms of publicizing the name "Pavlova".
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| Promotional phrases are features of space |
The growth of the project
Given the success of the product - particularly at the sales level - that went from Facebook and the stores to its own establishment, the person in charge of the space is peremptory: "Three factors were essential: differentiation, the press and social networks" , Alluding to the fact that space is more "hidden".
As society is in the digital marketing era, Ana - with almost 30,000 followers on Facebook by Miss Pavlova - says that it is essential to invest in new technologies, especially in small projects: "Projects like mine, in which we are still small, which We are not even money, so it is completely absurd to say that we are going to make an announcement on television or on the radio. "
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| A demonstration of the versatility of flavors that can have a Pavlova |
Target Audience?
Ana Maio states that the range of clients is very enbracing. However, note that the Portuguese are in majority, but the tourists begin to balance forces. "My main focus is the Portuguese" - reiterates the creator of the brand. It admits that it is mostly a public with more purchasing power, but also a more demanding public with product quality and also more specific, but warns that the definition of this issue will only consolidate over the years.
The future of Miss Pavlova and the big goals
"Many". It is with laughter that Ana reacts to the question, announcing that soon she hopes to open the second establishment, directed to the district of Porto. Expansion to other regions is not far off, but logistical costs imply that it is a long-term plan through sustained growth. "We have a lot of requests for Lisbon, but I think it's important that we first get more people in Porto," pointing to 2018 the possibility of reaching the capital. Internationalization, she explains, is also one of its main objectives, but points to the age of the project, still recent.
Finally, Ana says that it has not been easy to get to where it has already arrived, but in the end it is extremely rewarding.
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| The outdoor space has been rebuilt for an informal and relaxed atmosphere |
Miss Pavlova presents unique characteristics that make this sweet an innovation with great possibilities of making furor in the palate of any person. It is best to go to number 13 of Almada Street. Miss Pavlova has sweets for all tastes.
