Bringing a BW twist to an old classic
Adding a traditional twist to two sweet old classics, a young woman is providing tasty treats for the people of Palapye with her homemade ice-cream and marshmallows.
Working from home, Tshepiso Mokgwathi is the owner and founder of Absolute Treatz, a venture she started in 2022.
Offering something a little different, as well as the more conventional flavours of vanilla, strawberry and chocolate, Mokgwathi produces a native fruits range that is proving very popular.
“Driven by passion, I wanted to create an artisan ice cream from natural ingredients and unique flavours made from fresh fruits,” explains the 30-year-old Topisi native, who describes herself as a foodie.
Her love for good food included a healthy appetite for ice-cream.
Realising options were limited locally, Mokgwathi spotted an opportunity, licking her lips as she went all out to fill the gap.
Inspired by Tapi Tapi founder, Tapiwa Guzha, who is doing something similar in South Africa, Mokgwathi did plenty of research, bought an ice-cream maker and went to work.
“We differentiate ourselves by focusing on unique, handcrafted flavours. Absolute Treatz manufactures premium ice cream using only the best locally sourced indigenous fruits and nuts, including: motsentsela, mowana, dicheru, morama, lerotse and many more to be shortly introduced,” reveals the ice-cream maker, who gets her stock from local suppliers who pluck fruits in the bush and sell in the market.
On top of these Botswana inspired delights, the creative Mokgwathi has come up with a number of other unlikely ice-cream combinations.
“We also have luxurious crafty flavours such as spicy butternut, Jello melon, crunchy nuts, coffee and Madam Cookie,” says Mokgwathi, who makes her flavours and syrups from scratch and is gaining a reputation for her quality, creamy product.
Sizes range from: 350ml, 500ml and 2 litres, with classic flavours also coming in 250ml tubs. Prices for her indigenous and luxurious ice-cream vary from P50 to P185, while classics start at P25, rising to P145 for 2 litres. For those who just want a quick, on-the-go treat, there’s the option of a sugar cone with a single scoop.
As for her marshmallows, Mokgwathi uses a hand-mixer, following the usual technique of combining sugar, corn syrup, and gelatin to form the base.
Just like with her ice-cream, the Absolute Treatz boss has dreamt up several interesting flavours for her ‘Crafty Marshmallow’ range. These include: lime, rum, chocolate, rocky cookie, smoky almond and roasted coconut, all coated in chocolate, with a pack of nine priced at P120.
Indeed, her biggest challenge is hesitant clients reluctant to try something unfamiliar.
Currently, Mokgwathi sells from home but also takes orders and does deliveries.
Going forward, her ambition is to supply Absolute Treatz ice-cream in bulk to: restaurants, hospitality groups, cafes, grocery stores and event organisers.
