For a frozen or chilled product, the cold chain is the business. A product that thaws in a delivery bay or a faulty shop freezer is lost stock, a disappointed customer and a damaged relationship with the retailer. Frost Popsicles, the premium alcoholic and non-alcoholic popsicle brand founded by Natasha Fagri and Jon-Marc De Carvalho in 2016, learnt this the hard way. Their experience holds practical lessons for any small food or drink brand moving temperature-sensitive stock. For the wider story of how the brand grew and expanded abroad, see the growth strategy behind Frost Popsicles.
Lesson 1: Do not assume a distributor understands your product
The founders found that third-party logistics providers were delivering frozen stock to store receiving areas and leaving it there to melt. Before you appoint a distributor, check that it handles frozen goods routinely, ask how stock is handed over at the store, and agree in writing who is responsible until the product is in the freezer.
Lesson 2: Be ready to take control yourself
When distribution kept failing, Frost Popsicles delivered stock themselves in boxes of dry ice before buying their own freezer truck. Owning part of the chain costs money, but for a small brand whose reputation depends on arriving frozen, control can be worth more than the saving from outsourcing.
Lesson 3: The shop freezer is part of your chain
Faulty counter-top freezers and inconsistent merchandising damaged product in store, so the founders eventually took merchandising in-house. If your product sits in a retailer’s unit, find out who maintains it, how often it is checked, and whether you can supply or service your own units.
Lesson 4: Solve it locally before you expand
The founders fixed their cold chain problems in South Africa before pursuing distribution in markets such as Botswana, Mauritius and Singapore. Problems are harder to spot and fix far from home, so make the local chain reliable first.
A cold chain checklist for small brands
- Temperature requirements written down for every stage: storage, transport, handover and display
- Distributors and retailers who handle frozen or chilled goods as a matter of routine
- Clear responsibility at every handover point
- Temperature checks and records, especially in transport
- A plan for loadshedding and equipment failure, such as backup power or insulated packaging
- Insurance that covers stock spoilage
Food businesses also need the right certificates. Premises handling food need a Certificate of Acceptability from the local municipality’s environmental health department. More about the brand is on the Frost Popsicles website.
Frequently asked questions
What is a cold chain?
The unbroken sequence of refrigerated storage and transport that keeps a product at the right temperature from production to sale.
Should a small brand buy its own freezer truck?
Only when distribution failures cost more than the truck. Many start with specialist frozen-goods distributors.
Who is responsible for stock once it reaches a store?
It depends on your agreement with the retailer, so put the handover point in writing.
How can I protect stock during loadshedding?
Use backup power where you can, insulated packaging and dry ice for transport, and avoid opening freezers unnecessarily.
When should a food brand consider exporting?
Once local production, distribution and retail are reliable. Export magnifies any weakness in the chain.
Originally published in May 2019. Updated September 2026.
