When life partners Karis and Dominic Gesua decided to jack in their day jobs to start their business their original plan had been around “glamping” – posh camping. But then an article on frozen margaritas changed all that. Karis, a self-confessed foodie who loves to replicate food images she sees on Pinterest and Instagram, identified a new trend emerging from the US for natural, pure fruit ice lollies with a strong provenance. Three months later, after hefty research, the LICKALIX brand was launched with its first customer, the London Fields Lido in Hackney.
The duo are boldly taking on the giants of frozen world by simply refusing to compromise on their values: their lollies are made from organic real whole fruit ingredients that also happen to be good for those with dairy, lactose or gluten intolerances. There’s a “naughtier” side to their business too – their alcoholic frozen fruit based “poptails” are supplied to private and corporate events.
Most unusual of all, LICKALIX retains the control of manufacturing, successfully raising more than £200K in crowd funding so the brand could buy its own production site and gain the SALSA accreditation required of their distributors and retailers. Knowing exactly what goes into the lolly and how it’s made is such an integral part of the LICKALIX business that it was not possible to outsource their manufacturing when using real whole fruit.
Karis says the handmade, artisan quality has massive appeal to their customer base, mums of young children looking for healthy nutritional alternatives to the normal ranges on offer.
The couple say the lessons learned in their three-year adventure in business have got to be knowing how and when to look for help when it’s needed. Karis adds it’s worth seeking out a team of advisors to assist on the manufacturing, supply and industry side so that you can concentrate on the day job. We were introduced to LICKALIX at their crowd funding stage and we have consulted for them, connected them to people who could help with other areas and opened doors for some great marketing/ PR opportunities.
LICKALIX will be popping up at festivals throughout the summer, looking out for their colourful lollimoble at:
Lost Carnival – May 28-30
Taste of London – June 15-19
Latitude Festival – July 14-17
Secret Garden Party – July 21-24
Just So – August 19-21
Jamie’s Big Feastival – August 26-28
Food industry expert Jane Milton has been in the business for more than 30 years and has the inside track on all things food!
In her podcast, Jane takes you behind the scenes of the food business and introduces you to her incredible network of producers, entrepreneurs and
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