In fact, her Frost Popsicles – or, as she calls them, ‘lollies to make you jolly’– are shaking up braais, lunches and dinner parties around the country as people choose to have their wine or gin in frozen form, rather than in a glass.
It all started when Natasha – who ran a strategic marketing consultancy at the time – encountered a similar product while on an overseas trip. ‘I knew we could do it better!’ she says. She and her business partner went on an MCC shopping spree, buying enough bubbles to experiment with various formulas and cooking them up on her stove.
Frost Popsicles launched in September 2016 with an icy Pierre Jourdan lolly, providing an indulgent treat that’s free from nasties like colourants and preservatives, with entirely biodegradable packaging. The range has since expanded to include nine flavours, including edgy variants like blood orange screwdrivers and berry infusion G&Ts, as well as some non-alcoholic options.
There have been some trials along the way – like the time stock worth hundreds of thousands of rands melted in transit – and the entire venture has been a gigantic learning curve for someone whose expertise lay in psychographics rather than cold chain logistics and merchandising. Nevertheless, Natasha says the thrill when she sees someone enjoying one of her lollies, or reading a social media post about them, will never grow old.
And, with another fantastic product scheduled for launch in spring, it looks as if there’s plenty to keep Frost Popsicles fans excited, too.
• Visit frostposicles.com to find your nearest Frost Popsicles stockist.
