In sultry Kathmandu, it is the Popsicle season. Once a treat for children, these frozen delights are all grown up now. Try a savoury blackberry version with yogurt. Or go old school with seasonal fruit, freshly made and frozen.
Loitering the streets after school, a rapidly melting ice lolly coating our fingers as sweat dripped down our faces in the hot sun. It is this nostalgia that gave birth to Sweet Fix Nepal and the Co-founders Shreya Upadhyay and Kritika Lamsal think it is absolutely essential for everyone to enjoy this little delight with a hint of childhood nostalgia. This thought led to several experiments in their kitchen and this is how the exciting flavours took shape. But what they have done is to bring a healthy twist to this summertime treat with their handmade, chemical-free version; also a pure home-made feel. “We also have a few vegan options,” adds Shreya.
Shreya and Kritika started two years back, sourcing, producing and handling the marketing themselves. “We source seasonal fruits and quality is of utmost importance,” they say. This makes their menu dynamic and every few months there is a new flavour awaiting customers. Their most popular flavour is watermelon-lemon, which has a single round slice of lemon surrounded by frozen watermelon juice. Other flavours include mango, lime, kiwi, chocolate fudge, etc. The menu sports a quirky combination that is berry and lemonade.
“I am looking to experiment with more fusion flavours with every seasonal fruit,” says an excited Shreya. Their modus operandi is simple: source, cut, squeeze and freeze. Talking about their top priority, Kritika adds, “Popsicle needs to be equivalent to eating a fruit. It should be that healthy. We have developed a recipe where the entire sugar content of the ice candy, both natural and artificial, is very less. We use sugar as a natural taste enhancer”. These popsicles lasts for three weeks when deep freezed in an airtight container. “We are trying to develop a sugar-free option as well and there is plenty of demand for it,” Shreya states.
Nestled in Basantpur, the two year old window has branched out to Patan as well. They further take online delivery orders through their Instagram page. Between all these different platforms, the duo say that there are events when they sell about 50-800 popsicles in a day. In the coming year, the co-founders are hopeful that customers can pick up a Sweet Fix popsicle from their favourite supermarket. Priced between Rs 100 and Rs 150 per popsicle, it aims to be a pocket-friendly option for students.
With its zippy menu of nine flavours and newer ones on the horizon, The Sweet Fix Nepal is designed to offer something for everyone. You may get the sweet taste of nostalgia, novelty or just good old fruit. Over the time, it has become a definite crowd pleaser on a balmy evening.
Their Instagram handle is sweetfixnepal and this is the space to watch out for their new offerings.
