Meet Abby Hampson | Owner of Meringue & Co.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Abby Hampson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Abby, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Meringue & Co. started because I was bound and determined to perfect the art of French Macarons. I loved the challenge of a difficult pastry, and the end result was incredibly rewarding. I started giving macarons away to friends, and they actually begged me to start selling them! I don’t know if I would have seriously considered it without the encouragement from the people close to me. They saw something special in my macarons and were willing to pay for them. At the time I was deeply dissatisfied with my corporate job, and saw the side hustle as a welcome distraction. It was only a matter of time until I was able to “prove the concept” to myself and my husband and really run with it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
A great tasting macaron is what sets me and my business apart from others. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the phrase “I didn’t like macarons until I tried yours.” There are so many bad macarons out there! I’m proud of a delicious product that is both beautiful and special. It’s a joy to bring smiles to people’s faces as they taste something incredible.

Professionally, my career has been a rollercoaster. I first worked in non-profit, and then switched to tech, and baking was always a hobby on the side. It was a series of events that led me to start Meringue & Co., including the switch to work from home due to COVID-19. It was definitely not an easy process, nor is it easy to this day. Even though I get to do something I love, there are days when it feels like work, and I have to push through. There were pop-ups that completely flopped, and kitchen disasters that led to having nothing to sell. It’s been a practice of patience and taking each challenge as it comes. My husband always says “a career is a long thing”, and that has comforted me when I wasn’t sure what the next step was.

I think I would want people to know that Meringue & Co. is a work in progress, and likely will stay that way for a little while. As life changes present themselves (we’re expecting a baby!), and I make tweaks to the business model, the thing that will not change is the delicious macaron presented in a beautiful way. Those are bedrocks of Meringue & Co. and will always be at the core ◡̈

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh wow, Denver has so much to offer! Food would definitely be a central feature of this trip — the Denver food scene rocks!

We’d explore a few of my favorite coffee shops — definitely including Steam and Corvus Coffee. Shortly after we’d head to find the best croissant — I’d take them to Izzio Bakery and GetRights to let them decide ◡̈

One of Denver’s best features is the number of amazing parks. We’d pack a picnic and walk the loop around Wash Park and/or take my dog to the Cherry Creek Off Leash Dog Area.

If the weather is nice, we’ll head to the mountains for a hike, if not, we’ll take a spin class at High Ride Cycle… the best in the city.

Happy Hour would be at the Odell Brewing near Sloan’s lake, and then we’d head to a favorite restaurant for dinner. If we’re splurging, we’d do the tasting menu at either Beckon or The Wolf’s Tailor… if we’re feeling tapas, Barcelona Wine Bar… if we’re going for tacos, Uno Mas is the name of the game. I’d take them to explore each of the neighborhoods that surround these delicious restaurants so they could see that Denver is a city of neighborhoods.

Personally, we’d be in the neighborhoods more than downtown, because I think the best culture is found in these little pockets. We’d eat and drink our way through this super fun city!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Am I allowed to shoutout my husband, Brett?! It sounds cliche, but I absolutely would not have been able to start this business without him. He has supported me from day one, and trudged through all the ups and downs of small business life along the way. I would lie awake at night thinking about macarons and he would graciously listen and also bring me back down to earth to get some sleep. He has encouraged me to take risks and seize opportunities as they’ve presented themselves. I genuinely believe I would’ve quit at times without his gentle reminders to take the long view. He’s my favorite person and the invisible strength behind Meringue & Co’s success!

Website: meringueandcompany.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meringue_co/