Winner Heather Hamilton from St John's has been using the same recipe for more than 40 years.

Here are the champ's tips for perfect pav: Using less sugar will make your pav marshmallowier with a thinner crust. If you want a thicker crust, or if it is humid outside, increase sugar quantity by 20g or so. Know your oeven. Every oven is different and you have to adapt to make a pav work. If it starts ballooning it means the oven is too hot - and what goes up must come down. Avoid cooking pav when it's humid. It's best to beat the egg whites at room temperature - which is why the hot water helps. Egg whites freeze well and once thawed beat up nicely for a pavlova.